In a landmark initiative to bolster water security, Morocco and the European Union have unveiled a 3.7 billion Moroccan dirham (348 million euros) program dedicated to advancing the country’s National Water Plan (PNE). The launch event, held in Rabat, marked the beginning of a collaborative effort that pools resources from EU grants and concessional loans provided by three European financial institutions under the ‘Team Europe’ initiative.
The program’s funding structure includes 514.4 million Moroccan dirhams (48 million euros) in EU grants, complemented by three concessional loans totaling approximately 3.2 billion Moroccan dirhams (300 million euros). These loans are facilitated through the JEFIC network by Germany’s KfW Development Bank, Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), and France’s Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
The initiative aims to enhance understanding of water resources amid climate change impacts, improve management of extreme events like droughts and floods, protect groundwater reserves, and strengthen institutional capacities within the water sector. Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water, emphasized that this partnership will reinforce the country’s revised water strategy, ensuring sustainable preservation of water resources in the face of climate variability and extreme weather patterns.
French Ambassador Philippe Lalliot highlighted the AFD’s pivotal role in driving this initiative forward. EU Ambassador to Morocco Dimiter Tzantchev described the program as a cornerstone of the Morocco-EU Green Partnership and the Mediterranean Pact, designed to tackle shared climate challenges through enhanced cooperation. German Ambassador Robert Dölger underscored the KfW’s targeted financing for climate adaptation and groundwater conservation, while Italian Ambassador Pasquale Salzano tied Italy’s contribution to the broader goal of gender equality, recognizing it as a key driver of success.
The program will directly support the implementation of the National Water Plan and the National Drinking Water and Irrigation Program (PNAEPI) 2020-2027, ensuring long-term resilience in water management.
