Morocco is high on the list of countries most at risk due to water shortages. Data from the World Resources Institute (WRI) indicate that this country will reach a very high level of water stress by 2040.
This situation is influenced by several factors, including intensive agriculture, increased demand and population growth, pollution, as well as climate changes that cause increasingly frequent droughts and higher temperatures.
In order to mitigate the effects of these problems, assistance is provided to Morocco from various sources. One of the key solutions is the development of seawater desalination projects, a method by which salt is removed from seawater to produce fresh, drinkable water.
Recently, Veolia, a global company specializing in resource management, and the Kingdom of Morocco signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a strategic partnership for the development of a seawater desalination project. This will be the largest project of its kind in Africa and the second largest in the world. According to the world media, the realization of this project will provide drinking water for about 9.3 million inhabitants.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is also supporting Morocco in solving the problem of water scarcity. The EBRD has approved a €200 million loan for OCP Group, a world leader in plant nutrition solutions and the production of phosphate-based fertilizers, to strengthen the security of water supply through the development of new desalination plants.
Specifically, the loan will finance the construction of two seawater desalination plants in key industrial complexes of the OCP Group, located in the cities of El Jadida (Zorf Lasfar) and Safi. These plants will have a double contribution to sustainability.
First, OCP will use desalinated seawater in its water-intensive industrial processes, thereby reducing pressure on already limited fresh water reserves. Second, the desalinated water will support the production of fertilizers necessary for global food security, enabling the OCP Group to respond to the growing demand for sustainable agricultural solutions.
These facilities are particularly important for the cities of El Jadida and Safi, which are located in a catchment area where water demand exceeds 80 percent of available fresh water resources.
Katarina Vuinac
Source: energetskiportal.rs
