Morocco to invest 500 mln dh in water prospecting by 2004

Morocco's equipment minister, Bouamour Taghouane, announced that his department is planning a 500 million Dirham-investment (US$ 45.5 million) in water prospecting by 2004, while the Drinking Water Office (ONEP) will earmark 11 million DH (US$ one million) to consolidate drinking water production and extend the supply network.

The minister, who was talking at a diner debate on the program to alleviate drought effects in Morocco held by the Association of journalists of Maghreb Arabe Presse (AJMAP), stressed that the budget will allow to dig 4,000 wells in order to increase production and the storage capacity and bring water supply in rural areas from 43% to 62% in 2004, or 7.5 million persons living in the countryside. An additional 8 small dams will also be built.

To alleviate the effects of drought which has become a structural phenomenon and affected 90% of the territory as rain deficit ranged between 30 and 90%, he added, the state will support the transfer of water from regions with surplus to other which suffer water shortage.

He also said all Moroccan regions will be supplied with drinking water and waste water will be treated to be re-used in irrigation. He announced other water-related legislative measures to rationalize the use of water and fight water squandering mainly in agriculture which takes up to 90% of the water volume.

In the last three years, 44% of the equipment ministry budget went to water, he said, and amounts earmarked to supply drinking water to the rural world totaled 250 million DH (US $ 22.7 mln), in addition to 3.7 billion DH (US $ 336 mln) invested by ONEP.

To a question on sea water desalination, he said Morocco, which has two units, considers this expensive solution as the last option.