Morocco, along with Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Tunisia, are likely to suffer real GDP losses ranging from 1.1 to 6.6% by 2050, with water security being the primary driver of these losses, projected the World Bank’s Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDR).
The World Bank said that the impact of water scarcity varies across countries, with Tunisia anticipated to experience a staggering 71% of climate-linked real GDP losses by 2050.
The World Bank has mobilized around US$ 350 million to support CCDR recommendations that tackle water scarcity in Morocco.
The CCDRs recommend policies to focus on substituting fresh water with treated wastewater in agriculture and improving water-use efficiency through demand-side measures, including the implementation of more modern irrigation methods.
These interventions aim to strengthen water governance and institutions, improve the financial sustainability of the water sector, support climate-smart agriculture, and expand the use of renewable energy to support the upscaling of wastewater treatment and reuse.
According to CCDRs, the MENA region in particular epitomizes the imperative to build resilience in critical sectors like water, agriculture, and urban development, while safeguarding vulnerable communities.
The WB also said that agriculture is a cornerstone of economic activity in the MENA region, employing a significant portion of the workforce and serving as a vital source of jobs and income, particularly in rural areas.
Climate action, along the water-energy-agriculture nexus, can have a profound positive socioeconomic impact. Protecting farmers entails shifting crop patterns, adopting drought-tolerant crops, promoting more profitable crops, enhancing irrigation technologies, and embracing nature-based solutions.
Implementing decarbonization pathways that align with economic growth and fiscal constraints is also necessary, it said. Addressing water scarcity, accepting the intricacies of the water-energy-food relationship, and protecting agriculture are all pivotal steps toward a resilient and sustainable future.