The Moroccan Ministry of Equipment and Water, alongside the European Union and key European financial institutions, has launched a landmark initiative valued at 3.7 billion Moroccan dirhams (348 million euros). This collaborative effort, framed within the ‘Team Europe’ approach, aims to bolster the country’s National Water Plan (PNE) through a blend of grants and concessional loans.
The initiative was jointly inaugurated by Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water, the European Union, Germany, Italy, and France, with France leading the co-financing effort. The program draws on a 514.4 million dirham (48 million euro) grant from the EU, supplemented by three concessional loans totaling approximately 3.2 billion dirhams (300 million euros). These funds are channeled through the JEFIC network via Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), and France’s Agence française de développement (AFD).
The primary objectives include deepening the understanding of water resources amid climate change pressures, enhancing the management of extreme weather events like droughts and floods, safeguarding groundwater reserves, and strengthening institutional capacities within the water sector.
Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water, emphasized that the country has reimagined its water strategy in response to prolonged drought conditions. He noted that this program will reinforce sustainable water resource preservation efforts, particularly in the face of climate variability and extreme weather patterns.
French Ambassador Philippe Lalliot highlighted the pivotal role of the AFD in driving this initiative forward. EU Ambassador to Morocco Dimiter Tzantchev framed the program as a cornerstone of the Morocco-EU Green Partnership and the Mediterranean Pact, both of which prioritize joint action against shared climate challenges.
German Ambassador Robert Dölger underscored the KfW’s targeted financing for climate adaptation and groundwater conservation projects. Meanwhile, Italian Ambassador Pasquale Salzano pointed to Italy’s contribution as part of its broader commitment to gender equality, recognizing it as a critical factor for the initiative’s success.
This program will directly support the National Water Plan and the 2020-2027 National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program (PNAEPI), reinforcing long-term water security and resilience across Morocco.