The Moulouya hydraulic basin, as a border area, is of particular importance for the supervisory ministry, which considers it a priority in terms of mobilizing water resources, protecting against floods and building dams, said on Wednesday. in Oujda, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka.
The minister, who chaired the meeting of the Board of Directors (CA) of the Moulouya Hydraulic Basin Agency (ABHM), noted that this interest also relates to the construction of small dams and hill reservoirs, whose program implementation will be launched next year, adding that partnerships will also be developed for the protection and rationalization of the use of groundwater.
Nizar Baraka also praised the solidarity observed between the different provinces constituting this hydraulic basin in terms of participatory and integrated management of water resources, in accordance with the High Guidelines of HM King Mohammed VI and the recommendations of the New Development Model.
This is particularly evident in the management of resources intended to cover drinking water needs in Oujda, Saidia, Nador, Berkane, Driouch and Tourirt, he said.
Nizar Baraka also informed that the ABHM is working on the development of the final version of the draft integrated water resources development master plan, in consultation with all stakeholders, before being submitted to the Water basin council for advice.
In addition, the Minister underlined that the water resources of the Moulouya basin, which face a growing demand, are characterized by their scarcity and their irregularity, a reality which was confirmed during the hydrological year 2020-2021. , having recorded a significant deficit in precipitation compared to the annual average.
This deficit reached 36 pc in the Moulouya basin, which caused a 40 pc drop in water supplies to the dams compared to the average, he noted.
To deal with this situation, a series of meetings were held at regional and central level with government authorities and all the public institutions concerned, leading to the signing of a partnership agreement relating to the implementation and financing of urgent and structural measures, in order to guarantee the supply of drinking water in the Oriental region.
The Ministry of Equipment and Water will ensure the implementation of this agreement, by proceeding, among other things, to the acceleration of the construction works of the new dams of Béni Azimane and Targa Ou Madi and of raising of the dam. Mohammed V, in the 2023 programming of the Sefsaf dam (Berkane province) with a capacity of 600 million m3, in addition to the construction of the hydraulic complex made up of the Béni Mansour, Dar Mimoun and Bouhmed dams, assured Nizar Baraka.
It is also a question of continuing the efforts to explore groundwater, mobilizing new resources to meet drinking water needs and providing the financial and technical support necessary for the ABHM to carry out urgent actions. he said.
The difficult situation facing the Moulouya hydraulic basin requires, in addition to the construction of these infrastructures and equipment, to maintain continuous coordination between the various stakeholders to ensure monitoring and follow-up and to take appropriate measures to save money. water, fight against waste and act in order of priority to meet the needs for drinking water and irrigation water.
The ABHM Board of Directors approved, during its meeting on Wednesday for 2021, the Agency’s accounts for fiscal year 2020, as well as its action program and budget for 2022.
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