APA-Rabat (Morocco) The World Bank has approved a $350 million results-based program to support Morocco’s National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation (PNAEPI 2020-2027).
Launched in 2020, PNAEPI aims to improve water security by accelerating investments in the sector and strengthening the resilience of drinking water supply and irrigation.
The World Bank Program will help finance a subset of the activities included in the PNAEPI through three synergistic strategic pillars: strengthening water sector governance, improving the financial viability and efficiency of water use, and better integrating non-conventional water resources.
The program contributes to the World Bank’s strategic priorities in the MENA region, including gender equality and climate change, and supports the implementation of the recommendations of the World Bank’s Morocco Climate and Development Report, published in October 2022.
Morocco faces major challenges related to climate and water as a highly vulnerable area. Water scarcity imposes significant economic constraints, which will worsen as the country approaches the critical threshold of 500 m3 of water per person per year by 2030. Climate change is likely to exacerbate the cumulative and cascading impacts on Morocco’s water security.
“Ensuring access to natural resources, including water, while preserving them, is essential to building a sustainable future for Morocco,” said Jesko Hentschel, World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb and Malta.
“With this in mind, this new program aims to strengthen water security for all in Morocco and will support the update and adoption of the National Water Plan (PNE), which defines the sector’s vision for the next 30 years,” he added.
In addition to supporting the PNE, the program will help strengthen water sector governance by protecting groundwater resources, improving the quality and availability of water-related information, supporting the performance of water basin authorities, developing water information and data systems, and requiring reporting by multi-service operators.
It will also support government efforts to improve the financial viability and efficiency of water use. The policy will improve the climate resilience of the water sector, in particular through the development of a financial model and the adoption of a financial sustainability action plan to inform pricing strategies for specific sub-sectors.
Other components of this policy include the implementation of PNAEPI’s communication strategy to raise awareness of the importance of water conservation and the operationalisation of plans to reduce drinking water losses in distribution networks.
“This program will support the government’s efforts to increase recognition of the value of water, improve cost transparency throughout the water value chain, and promote more efficient and rational use of scarce water resources,” said Marcus J. Wishart, World Bank senior water resources management specialist and program co-leader.
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