HIBAPRESS – w.m.a
The Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, chaired today in Agadir, the work of the Board of Directors of the Souss-Massa Water Basin Agency for the year 2025.
The work of this session, which was held in the presence of the Wali of the Souss-Massa region, the Governor of the Agadir Ida Outanane Prefecture, Said Amazazi, was devoted to finalizing the accounts of the Souss-Massa Water Basin Agency for the fiscal year 2024, studying its work program and its draft budget for the fiscal year 2026, in addition to monitoring the progress of the implementation of the 2025 budget.
On this occasion, the Minister affirmed that the convening of this council comes in a national context characterized by the recording of significant rainfall in the Souss-Massa region after seven consecutive years of drought, reaching nearly 120 mm in some villages, which bodes well for the beginning of a positive hydrological year.
He added that these rainfalls resulted in significant water inflows in a short period, exceeding 370 million cubic meters at the level of the dams of the Souss-Massa region.
In this context, Baraka reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the high royal directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, especially with regard to the optimal activation of the components of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Water 2020-2027.
The program aims to ensure the regular supply of drinking water to all citizens, secure at least 80% of the water needs allocated for irrigation, continue the dam construction program, accelerate the completion of water transfer projects between water basins, and develop desalination plants with the aim of mobilizing more than 1.7 billion cubic meters annually by 2030.
The Council also recorded the progress made in a number of major water projects, most notably, the continuation of the work to raise the height of the Al-Mukhtar Soussi Dam in the Taroudant province, with a total capacity that will reach 281 million cubic meters, with an implementation rate of 77%; and the near completion of the work on the Tamri Dam in the Agadir Ida Outanane prefecture, with a storage capacity estimated at 204 million cubic meters, with the proactive filling of the reservoir during the first half of this year, and the continuation of the construction of a number of small dams (Idaouknidif, Akhfaman, Krizn) in partnership with the Ministry of Interior.
The programming of the expansion of the seawater desalination plant in Ashtouka Ait Baha in 2026 was also highlighted to raise its production capacity to 146 million cubic meters annually, and the start of the construction of the Sidi Yaqoub dam in the province of Tiznit, and the purchase and installation of mobile water desalination and metal removal plants in a number of areas of the region.
On the other hand, the Minister addressed the emergency measures taken to ensure the supply of drinking water, especially in the rural world, by mobilizing groundwater resources, purchasing and renting tanker trucks, and activating tracking and monitoring mechanisms through regional and provincial water committees.
In the context of adapting to climate change and reducing the risks of floods, the Council emphasized the importance of preparing a "Flood Atlas" in the Souss-Massa basin, with the support of the Natural Disaster Mitigation Fund, which enables the identification of territorial areas exposed to danger and the prioritization of intervention in the field of prevention and protection.
The meeting of the Board of Directors also stressed the need to rationalize the use of water resources, protect the public water domain, and address all forms of illegal exploitation of groundwater, while promoting a culture of water conservation and combating its waste, to ensure the sustainability of this vital resource in the Souss-Massa region.
The Board of Directors of the Souss-Massa Water Basin Agency was an opportunity to assess the agency's performance, strengthen its governance, and confirm the commitment of all stakeholders to continue supporting its ambitious programs, which embodies a proactive, integrated and sustainable management of water resources, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
At the end of its work, the Board of Directors approved a number of agreements related to flood protection, including five agreements funded by the Disaster Mitigation Fund, and one agreement within the framework of the agency's special program, in addition to approving an agreement annex and a concession contract annex.
