Speaking at a side event held at the Egyptian pavilion of COP 27, during which the Action for Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARe) initiative was launched, Baraka explained that this interest is reflected in the integration of climate change adaptation measures in sectoral policies, including plans and programs related to the strategic water sector.
He added that the ambition of such initiatives is to accelerate, strengthen and expand cooperation, in accordance with the Paris Agreement, as well as to promote transparency by reporting on global, regional and national commitments to reduce the impact of climate change.
In this regard, the Minister said that this event “will raise awareness among governments, elected officials, the scientific community and civil society on the issues of water in the context of climate change and their direct link with major current challenges such as food and energy security.”
Similarly, Baraka stressed that the launch of this initiative provides an opportunity to exchange country experiences in climate change adaptation, particularly in the field of water, in order to launch a sustainable and fruitful discussion.
This initiative was timely to strengthen the efforts of the international community in combating climate change, as it represents a recognition of the centrality of the issue of water in the work and discussions of the conferences of the parties to climate change, he said.
In this regard, Baraka recalled that Morocco is committed to the process of implementing measures to combat climate change and adaptation in accordance with the Paris Agreement, in addition to other initiatives launched by international institutions such as the World Water Council, the International Network of Basin Organizations, UNESCO, as well as the African Agriculture Adaptation Initiative (AAA).
He said that the Kingdom, which attaches great importance to climate change mitigation, aims through its national energy strategy to achieve an energy mix of 52% renewable energy by 2030.
The Minister concluded that Morocco has systematically chosen to link water desalination projects with renewable energy, one example of which is the large drinking water supply and irrigation project in the Greater Agadir region, which began operation this year.
