“To guarantee its water and food security, Morocco has implemented ambitious strategies and launched several initiatives, including the 2020–2027 National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program,” Balla said during a joint briefing hosted by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN-Water. “This plan has accelerated investment in the water sector, particularly through dam construction, wastewater reuse, and desalination.”
Thanks to these efforts, Morocco aims to reach 1.4 billion cubic meters of desalinated water annually by 2030, Balla said. He also highlighted the development of “water highways” designed to ensure balanced and equitable distribution between regions.
Balla emphasized the role of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (IAV Hassan II) in Rabat. In cooperation with African countries, the institutions have developed new, drought-resistant cereal varieties.
The ambassador noted that on the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco was among the first countries to launch multilateral initiatives against water stress. These include the Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA) Initiative, introduced during the COP22 climate summit held in Marrakech in 2016.
Balla praised the FAO’s role in fostering international partnerships and called for stronger global cooperation to support Morocco’s efforts in the face of rising challenges, including climate change, overexploitation of aquifers, and growing agricultural water demands.
He also warned of the “alarming” scale of the water crisis, stating that mounting pressure threatens not only Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 — ensuring access to water and sanitation — but the entire 2030 Agenda, including eliminating hunger and achieving food security.
The briefing was organized by the FAO to mark the 30th anniversary of the global AQUASTAT program, which tracks water use in agriculture.
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