Morocco calls for fair use of water

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.