Morocco and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday in Rabat, establishing a cooperation program for the management of water resources.
Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, and China’s Vice Minister of Water Resources, Zhu Chengqing, signed the bilateral agreement, which provides for exchanges of expertise around water management, Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported.
From 2025 to 2027, the program will govern the construction, operation, management and maintenance of water distribution projects. It will also focus on responding to extreme weather conditions such as floods and droughts, problems which have been affecting many regions of Morocco for more than the last six years.
The joint agreement also involves developing strategies for efficient water use in agriculture and tackles ensuring access to potable water in rural areas, where water scarcity continues to be an issue.
Under the memorandum, the countries have agreed to hold three meetings of the China-Morocco Joint Committee on Water Resources in 2025, 2026, and 2027. These meetings will focus on sharing experiences in water resource planning, research, assessment, and monitoring.
Baraka stated that “the partnership aligns with the strong relations between Morocco and China, both of which are eager to enhance their bilateral cooperation.”
He highlighted the importance of the MoU, which outlines a specific agenda for the next three years, which in addition to drought and flood management and integrated water management, addresses groundwater preservation.
Chengqing similarly noted that the long-standing relations between Morocco and China will only be strengthened following the signing of the MoU.
China’s Ambassador to Rabat, Li Changlin, and the Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), Tarik Hamane, also attend the meeting.