It’s a real paradox. In this semi-arid to arid country that is Morocco, and which came close to a real catastrophe in 2023, a large part of the population has not appreciated the capital importance of water resources. “When we only had two to three months of resources left before us and we were really worried here, at the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah (SMBA) dam, I realized that even the members of my family were not aware of the value of a drop of water in the tap,” explains Abderrahim El Gazzar, head of the division sustainable management of water resources of the Bouregreg and Chaouia Hydraulic Basin Agency.
In fact, the subject of awareness constitutes one of the major axes of the National Program for the Supply of Drinking Water and Irrigation (PNAEPI) 2020-2027 and King Mohammed VI himself, in a speech delivered in the summer of 2024, on the occasion of the Feast of the Throne, called on the Moroccans “adopt responsible behavior in favor of rationalizing the use of this vital material”.
All channels used to promote best practices
“The Ministry of Equipment and Water has launched major audiovisual awareness campaigns, particularly in 2022 and 2024, with the aim of strengthening citizens’ collective awareness of the water situation and encouraging them to rationalize their water consumption and adopt responsible behavior with regard to this vital resource,” explains the director general of hydraulics, Salahddine Dahbi. TV and radio spots, social networks, influencers, “water classes” for primary school students, information platform (maadialna.ma) and even Friday sermons: all channels were used to promote good practices.
Playing on the price of water…? This is not envisaged at this stage. “We have a system of brackets, with social pricing which varies according to consumption.” access (…) to water and a healthy environment”.
On the other hand, at the heart of the crisis, coercive measures were taken: a ban on watering, of course, as well as on cleaning cars, filling swimming pools, closing hammams on certain days, etc. So many actions which, in reality, can only have a limited effect. Individuals representing only approximately 13…% of the country’s total consumption, reducing their consumption will only ever have a very marginal effect. “It is essential, however, for awareness and individual responsibility,” says Salahddine Dahbi.
Find all the papers in our special file: Water stress – How Morocco secures its water supply
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