Bank of Africa is calling for better water management as Morocco works to secure its water supply for the future. The bank hosted the second GI-EAU Symposium in Casablanca on July 3 and 4 through its Pan-African Chair of Sustainability and Impact Finance. Held with Hassan II University of Casablanca, the event brought together researchers, government officials, businesses and international organisations to discuss practical solutions to the country’s water challenges.
The discussions focused on improving water governance, expanding seawater desalination and wastewater recycling, and making sure water is shared more fairly.
The event comes just months after Morocco declared the end of a seven-year drought following heavy rain and snowfall in early 2026. But experts say the country’s water problems are far from over.
Morocco’s renewable water resources have fallen from 2,560 cubic metres per person in the 1960s to about 565 cubic metres today. That is close to the United Nations threshold for extreme water scarcity.
Agriculture uses between 80% and 85% of the country’s available water. Recent shortages caused cereal production to fall by 60%, forcing Morocco to import more grain to help keep food prices stable.
The government is investing 14 billion dollars through its National Water Plan to improve water security. It wants 60% of the country’s drinking water to come from seawater desalination by 2030, leaving more inland water for farming.
Morocco currently produces 350 million cubic metres of desalinated water each year. That figure is expected to rise to 567 million cubic metres before reaching 1.7 billion cubic metres by 2030.
Equipment and Water Minister Nizar Baraka recently said four major desalination plants are being completed by the end of the year. They include the Casablanca plant in Sidi Rahal, a project worth 6.5 billion dirhams, or about 613 million dollars.
When it opens, the plant will be the largest desalination facility in Africa. It will produce 300 million cubic metres of water every year and run entirely on renewable energy.
Bank of Africa said it wants to help turn research into real projects by bringing together scientists, investors and policymakers. It also wants to support public-private partnerships to develop water infrastructure and mobile desalination units for rural areas.
