Rabat – The role of youth in the transition to an intelligent and resilient future for the water sector was at the centre of a meeting organised on Friday in Rabat, on the occasion of World Water Day, celebrated on 22 March each year.
Initiated by the Ministry of Equipment and Water and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), GIZ, the 4C Maroc Centre, and the Belgian Embassy, this meeting aims to communicate on the challenges of water management in a context of climate change and to inspire action and adherence from the general public to promote sustainable initiatives and solutions that contribute to strengthening the resilience of the water sector and the population in the face of the impacts of climate change, with a particular focus on young people.
The event also aims to value the contribution of youth to this resilience, by calling on innovation, creativity, and new technologies.
Speaking on this occasion, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, stressed the importance of actively involving youth in the transition to a resilient and intelligent future for the water sector, through innovation and new technologies, highlighting the central role of young people in developing creative and innovative solutions to meet water challenges exacerbated by climate change.
The Minister recalled Morocco's efforts to deal with structural water scarcity and recurring episodes of drought. "Despite a relative improvement thanks to recent rainfall, with a dam filling rate reaching 36%, the efficient and sustainable management of water resources remains a priority," he maintained.
The new national water policy, which will be finalised by the end of 2025, aims for decentralised planning, better mobilisation of non-conventional resources, such as desalination, and strengthened solidarity between urban and rural areas, Mr. Baraka said.
Likewise, he reiterated the Kingdom's commitment, under the High Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to promote innovation and new technologies to ensure the sustainability of this vital sector, insisting on the importance of awareness, behaviour change, and collective mobilisation with a view to ensuring sustainable and equitable water management for the benefit of future generations.
For his part, the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Azzedine El Midaoui, affirmed that "water management in Morocco, under the enlightened Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, constitutes an international reference model," stressing the need to unite efforts to meet the growing challenges related to water resources, particularly in a context of climate change and demographic pressure.
Mr. El Midaoui also expressed his confidence in Moroccan youth, "intelligent, civic-minded, and carriers of innovative solutions," reiterating his commitment to collaborate with all stakeholders to meet the challenge of water scarcity and strengthen awareness around this vital resource.
"Morocco is endowed with remarkable scientific and technological capital in the field of water, and we will continue to mobilise this potential to guarantee a sustainable future for future generations," concluded Mr. El Midaoui.
For his part, the Belgian Ambassador to Morocco, Gilles Heyvaert, stressed that government solutions in terms of hydraulic policy are articulated around essential axes, such as the continuation of a dam policy, the interconnection of basins, and water highways.
The adoption of rational social behaviours in water consumption is proving crucial, both in the agricultural sector through the implementation of drip irrigation techniques in particular, and in the individual practices of consumers, he added.
To this end, a national competition dedicated to students and young researchers with ideas was organised on the sidelines of this day, in coordination between the Ministry of Equipment and Water and the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation.
Thus, an award ceremony for encouragement prizes was organised during this event to reward students and young researchers who presented the best innovative ideas or projects using new technologies in favour of the resilience of the water sector.
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