Dams for agricultural use: a filling rate of 26%

Tuesday 21st January 2025 11:54 AM

In response to an oral question to the House of Representatives on the use of desalinated sea water in the agricultural sector“, Mr. El Bouari specified that a proportion of 70% of these reserves was concentrated in the Sebou and Loukkos basinsadding that 722 million m³ of water had been allocated to support large-scale hydraulic schemes. He also said that irrigation had started in Loukkos, Gharb, Moulouya, Tafilalet and Ouarzazate, with reduced intensity in Tadla, which represents nearly 52% of the total area of large hydraulic perimeters, noting that in the perimeters of Doukkala, Al Haouz and Souss-Massathe situation remained dependent on the improvement of the reserves of their dams to determine an irrigation program.

Mr. El Bouari stressed that faced with the weakness of water resources in several irrigated areas, the ministry had put in place a series of measures to rationalize the use of water and optimize its exploitation to ensure the success of the current agricultural season. In this sense, the minister recalled that, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, the programming and acceleration of the construction of several stations was carried out. sea water desalination to mobilize more than 1.7 billion m³ of desalinated water by 2030, with a view to ensuring the supply of coastal cities and relieving pressure on conventional water resources to devote them to agriculture. He indicated that certain stations were under construction, notably that of Dakhla, with a capacity of 37 million m³ per year, with a work progress rate of around 70%, as well as that of Casablanca, d ‘a capacity of 300 million m³, including 50 million dedicated to irrigation.

As for the planned stations, they include in particular those in the Oriental region, with a production capacity of 300 million m³ aimed at improving the quality of drinking water and providing 160 million m³ for irrigation, that of Tangier with a capacity of 150 million m³, that of Rabat with a capacity of 300 million m³, as well as the stations of Oum Er-Rbia and Tensift, also with a capacity of 300 million m³, intended for irrigation. Furthermore, a new station is planned in Souss-Massa, with a capacity of 350 million m³, including 250 million dedicated to irrigation, in addition to other medium-sized stations in Boujdour, Tan-Tan and in the regions neighboring areas.

Concerning the hydraulic basin interconnection projects, the minister highlighted the completion, in a record time of 10 months, of an urgent phase of the Sebou and Bouregreg interconnection projects, which made it possible to transfer more than 580 million m³ of water per year. This also involves the project to interconnect the Oued El Makhazine dam with the Dar Khrofa dam to ensure a supply of 100 million m³ per year. This project, which is in its final stages, will irrigate an area estimated at 21,000 hectares in Dar Khrofa.