Morocco calls for fair use of water
Morocco-Regional, Politics, 2/21/2003

Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Thursday called for a fair use of water, that the king termed as a resource basically meant to be shared.

"(É) It is necessary to reach a genuine agreement on how to ensure equitable utilization of a resource which is basically meant to be shared," said King Mohammed VI, in a speech at the Summit of the Heads of State of Africa and France, opened Thursday morning in Paris.

"It (Water) can benefit everybody, but only through close cooperation, based on a clear consensus and on a minimum of rules that must be complied with by all states concerned," added the king.

King Mohammed VI deplored that "Africa is lagging behind," when it comes to water management and availability. To highlight the seriousness of the situation, the king quoted figures showing that "only half the African population has access to drinking water, and some 400 million Africans will need this essential commodity by the year 2015."

"Water supply is constantly disrupted in many African cities," said the king, adding "only 12 million hectares of land are irrigated, compared to the 45 million which the FAO considered irrigable."

King Mohammed VI equally deplored that "While public investment needs are estimated at 10 billion Euros a year, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for barely 5 percent of the portfolio allotted by the World Bank to investments in the water sector."

Although this situation gives rise to legitimate concern, King Mohammed VI voiced full confidence that North-South solidarity and South-South cooperation "will help meet the great challenge of managing the scarcity of water resources."

"In Africa, the water issue is a typical area where a true partnership can be developed, especially as rivers and aquifers know no borders in that continent," he said.

Previous Stories:
  high time for investing Arab capital in the Arab states   (12/17/2002)
  Nuclear energy seen as engine of Arab industrial development, experts say   (10/19/2002)
  International conference debates use of nuclear energy in desalination   (10/17/2002)
  Abu Zeid to open conference on Arab water   (10/10/2002)
  The coming water shortage crisis in the Arab states   (8/14/2002)
  Arab bank signs eight loan agreements with eight African countries   (7/27/2002)
  Arab water deficiency   (6/1/2002)
  Fund-donors to meet next april over sustained development and water in Africa   (3/26/2002)
  U.N. conference addresses drought, creeping deserts and poverty   (2/21/2002)
  FAO warns of worsening water scarcity in mediterranean   (2/4/2002)
  Delegates at UN meeting stress key role of water, sanitation for sustainable development   (1/31/2002)
  An Arab center for water studies to be opened in Damascus   (11/2/2001)
  $ 35 billion for withstanding water problems in the Arab states   (8/20/2001)
  A development office for the Nile basin   (7/4/2001)
  Arab states to face water deficit if same policy continues   (5/7/2001)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search