This meeting, held in the presence of the Wali of the Fez-Meknes region, the Fez prefecture and the El Hajeb province governors, was devoted to the 2021 Sebou Basin Agency accounts’ approval and its actions balance examination.
It also proceeded to the presentation of the progress of the implementation of its program 2022 and the action program for the year 2023.
In his speech at the opening of this meeting, Baraka stressed “the strategic importance of water for the economic and social development of our country,” highlighting the great hydraulic achievements of the Kingdom, “which are the result of the adoption, for a long time, of a far-sighted water policy.
Thanks to these efforts, Morocco currently has a significant hydraulic heritage comprising 152 large dams with a total storage capacity of about 19.9 billion m3, 136 small dams to support local development and 16 works of inter-basin water transfer, he specified.
In this regard, the government official said that work is underway on 18 large dams with a total capacity of nearly 5.2 billion m3, in addition to the continued construction of many small dams.
Baraka also mentioned the efforts to diversify water sources with the realization of 9 seawater desalination plants and 158 wastewater treatment plants.
According to the Minister, the last year was marked at the level of the Sebou basin by the continuation of the construction of the M’dez dam in the province of Sefrou (700 million m3). This dam will allow the irrigation of 30,000 hectares, provide protection against flooding and help combat the over-exploitation of the Saiss aquifer.
He also cited the continued construction of the Sidi Abbou dam in the province of Taounate (200 million m3), which will provide drinking water for the city of Taounate and surrounding areas and irrigate 4,000 hectares, and the Koudiat El Borna dam in Sidi Kacem (12 million m3).
In the same vein, Mr. Baraka reported the continuation of works on the Ratba dam in the province of Taounate.
This work, with a storage capacity of 1 billion m3, will contribute to the protection against floods, limit the siltation of the Al Wahda dam and support the transfer of water from the Sebou basin to the Bouregreg basin.
Mr. Baraka also stressed that the construction of the Ribat Al Kheir dam in the province of Sefrou will begin this year. This work, which will have a storage capacity of 124 million m3, will contribute to the supply of drinking water and irrigation.
