Following King Mohammed VI’s Throne Day speech on Monday evening that highlighted the urgency of addressing water scarcity in Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch, Morocco’s Head of Government, chaired a meeting of the steering committee for the 2020-2027 National Program for Potable Water Supply and Irrigation on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by his office.
The meeting in the northern city of M’diq addressed ways to improve and accelerate implementation of the program, including studying the priorities outlined in the Royal Speech commemorating the 25th Throne Day anniversary and taking into account the need to step up investment in the water sector.
Akhannouch underlined the King’s key directives to address water-related challenges. He particularly focused on the sovereign’s call for “good governance” in implementing Morocco’s national water policies, specifically for timely and effectively completing individual projects, according to the statement.
“In accordance with the Royal Directives,” he said, “the government is committed to ensuring the effective implementation of all aspects of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027 to alleviate the impacts of water scarcity.”
The official “urged all relevant parties to speed up water-related investments and their implementation according to the established schedule,” noting that “the steering committee will intensify its meetings to closely monitor the progress of the various planned programs.”
Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of the Interior; Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water; and Mohamed Sadiki, the Minister of Agriculture and Water and Forests, attended the meeting.