The Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water, and Environment, in charge of Water, Charafat Afilal, chaired on Monday in Boujdour the first session of the board of directors of the Sakia El-Hamra and Oued Eddahab Hydraulic Basin Agency for the year 2014.
This meeting was mainly devoted to the presentation and examination of the balance sheet of achievements for the 2013 financial year, as well as the hydrological situation and the water resource management programme for the 2014-2015 campaign. The debate focused on the achievements and efforts led by the Sakia El-Hamra and Oued Eddahab Hydraulic Basin Agency with a view to meeting water needs and accompanying the major development projects launched in the southern provinces of the Kingdom.
Furthermore, the board of directors was an opportunity to discuss the various challenges facing the basin, notably the increased demand and the overexploitation of underground water resources. On this subject, Ms. Afilal did not fail to recall that the mobilisation of additional water resources in the Southern provinces constitutes a major challenge to favour the accompaniment of investments in the region.
The minister explained that among the major challenges currently arising is the accompaniment of the economic boom and the all-out development that the southern provinces of the Kingdom are experiencing, with a view to mobilising additional water resources to meet the growing needs for this rare commodity and accompany investments in the region.
“The Southern provinces are characterised by the scarcity of water because they are areas recording low, or even zero, rainfall throughout the year. The challenge consists of valuing the water resources available to the region, the use of which must be rationed to meet drinking water needs, favour the development of agricultural activity, and carry out colossal investments,” she stresses.
And to add that the State has consented to significant investments in this region with the aim of notably carrying out structuring projects aimed at meeting water needs through the creation of seawater desalination plants and the construction of dams to support pastoral activity.
