Rabat:The government has unveiled a plan to accelerate the construction of seawater desalination plants to secure 1.8 billion cubic meters of water by 2031, according to Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, El Mansouri outlined this strategy during a joint plenary session of both Houses of Parliament. The plan also includes diversifying and strengthening water supplies by building additional dams, especially in arid, semi-arid, mountainous, and oasis regions, and implementing water transfer projects between basins and regions as needed, all while maintaining the water balance.
To achieve long-term water security, the government is committed to creating a National Water Plan as a strategic framework for guiding national water policy. This framework will address various natural, climatic, economic, and social factors, ensuring the alignment of public policies across water, agriculture, energy, the environment, and land-use planning.
El Mansouri also addressed the government’s strategic energy security initiatives, highlighting the goal to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix to over 52% by 2030. This includes implementing the Morocco Offer for green hydrogen and developing a roadmap for gas infrastructure, as well as energy efficiency measures to manage growing energy demand.
Regarding food security, El Mansouri announced a shift from short-term support to a focus on production factors through a seed sovereignty program. This program aims to increase the share of domestically produced seeds from 20% to 50% during the current legislative term. The government will work on securing strategic stocks, ensuring market supplies, reviewing cereal stocks, and regulating exports in sensitive sectors.
The government also plans to rebuild the livestock population by supporting small-scale farmers’ access to high-yield breeds, promoting local breeds, and enhancing health and epidemiological surveillance.
In terms of digital sovereignty, El Mansouri noted plans to establish a national mechanism for cybersecurity, data protection, and critical systems security. Efforts will also be made to expand Internet coverage in remote areas, develop a framework for safe artificial intelligence, and support innovative startups.
El Mansouri emphasized the importance of strengthening industrial sovereignty and Morocco’s position in global value chains by implementing Royal Initiatives, developing maritime, logistics, and energy corridors, and fostering new low-carbon industries.
The government also intends to develop a defense industrial and technological base by improving the legal framework and competitiveness. This includes building a strong national merchant fleet and accelerating major port projects and related logistics and industrial zones.
El Mansouri concluded that global transformations necessitate a comprehensive approach that encompasses water, food, energy, and environmental security, while considering emerging geostrategic, digital, and scientific risks.