The road connectivity enjoyed by the region represents a major opportunity likely to establish it as a pole of socio-economic development and will strengthen the attractiveness of the region in terms of investments.
The large seawater desalination plant in Nador, which will be launched this year, will contribute to the dynamics of sustainable development in the Oriental region. This was indicated on Saturday in Oujda by the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka. Speaking at the “Orientales de l’investor”, as part of the “Les Orientales” event, Nizar Baraka specified that the desalination plant includes a drinking water component and another for agricultural water, given the importance irrigation.
The Minister also indicated that the 150 billion dirhams injected into the region have enabled a marked improvement in the regional GDP, which has almost doubled in 20 years. Furthermore, the minister highlighted the structuring project, the port of Nador West Med, which will be a real driving force for development, and will transform the region into a Mediterranean hub, or even a hub for the entire continent. And to continue that the road connectivity enjoyed by the region also represents a major opportunity likely to establish it as a pole of socio-economic development, and will strengthen the attractiveness of the region in terms of investment and job creation.
With regard to hydraulic infrastructure, the Minister indicated that the region has 24 large dams and 22 small dams, recalling in this regard the efforts made for the mobilization of groundwater, and the guarantee of the supply of drinking water. in rural areas. To meet the need for water, he said that other dams are being built, notably in Guercif, Driouech, Taouriret, and Feguig.
For his part, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki, stressed that major projects have emerged since 2003 in all the provinces of the region, adding that A big step has been taken in terms of equipment, modernization of water circuits, and development of irrigation systems.
In this sense, the minister said that Morocco’s agricultural policy is deployed through structuring projects, adding that the implementation of the Green Morocco Plan in the Oriental region has made it possible to enhance and increase the level of protection of water resources. These include the creation of water-efficient systems, the expansion of irrigation, the enhancement of agricultural systems, the development of the Berkane agropole, as well as the support of livestock in the region. , which has a production potential of 117,000 hectares. And to add that the new structuring strategy “Green Generation 2020-2030”, based on the achievements of the Green Morocco Plan, places the human element and human development at the center of its concerns, in particular via the regional agricultural plan of Morocco. Oriental, whose budget amounts to 18 billion dirhams over 10 years.