2024-07-23 10:55:23
This new document, developed by the Oum Er Rbia Water Basin Agency in consultation with its partners, takes stock of the water situation in the region, assessing, in the long term, water resources in quantitative and qualitative terms and identifies the evolution of water demand by sector and by type of use.
The development of this document in accordance with Law 36-15 on water, aims to establish a water policy based on a prospective vision which takes into account, on the one hand, the evolution of resources and, on the other hand, the needs expressed.
The PDAIRE is established for a period of at least 30 years and includes, in particular, a summary of the state of the hydraulic situation, the assessment of water resources in quantitative and qualitative terms and the state of the development and use of these resources. This document, once approved by the ABHOER board of directors, will represent a benchmark for planning water resources in the action zone of the Oum Er-Rbia Hydraulic Basin Agency.
This Plan should ensure the continuous availability of this commodity in the quantity and quality required for the benefit of users, in accordance with the aspirations of economic and social development, the orientations of the National Water Plan (PNE) and sectoral plans and the possibilities offered on the technical and economic levels.
It is also a question of assessing the evolution of water demand by sector and by type of use, the allocation of available water to the different potential uses as well as the setting of objectives to be achieved in terms of water quality as well as the appropriate deadlines and measures to achieve them.
The PDAIRE thus proposes to set up plans for the mobilization and management of conventional and non-conventional water resources and aquatic environments, respecting the principles of integrated water resource management and bringing together technical, economic and environmental measures.
The Action Plan for this project includes several axes, including, in particular, the interconnection project between the Sebou, Bouregreg and Oum Er-Rbia basins, which will strengthen the water resources of the Oum Er-Rbia basin by an additional volume of between 400 and 500 Mm3 per year.
The document also cites the construction of at least 8 new large dams, with a storage capacity of around 2 billion m3, in addition to several small dams to support local development, and the development of watersheds to reduce the siltation rate by around 10%.
The promoters of this Plan, while being aware of these challenges and water issues in the region, have chosen to confront resources with needs with a focus on the development of water supply and the management of water demand, and this, by proposing to improve the yields of distribution networks at the level of cities and centers to reach at least 80%.
According to the Plan, it also involves strengthening irrigation water supply systems and monitoring and controlling the use of water resources in addition to reducing the deficit of groundwater resources by 2030 and restoring balance by 2050.
In terms of flood protection, the Plan emphasizes the imperative of implementing structural and non-structural actions, with the objective of securing all medium or high risk sites by 2040 and continuing the delimitation of the public hydraulic domain.
The area of action of the Oum Er-Rbia Water Basin Agency extends over an area of 48,070 km2 (approximately 7% of the Kingdom’s surface) and covers completely or partially five regions and sixteen provinces. The area has significant surface water resources, estimated at 3.17 billion m3 (86% of total water resources). However, these contributions show a great spatio-temporal irregularity, in addition to a downward trend.
2024-07-23 10:55:23