In Morocco, INECO will discuss on the issue of inefficient water use, experienced in the Oum Er Rbia hydraulic basin.

The Oum Er Rbia river (550 km length) originates from the Middle Atlas, and stretches across the Middle Atlas chain, the Tadla plain, the inshore Meseta and discharges in the Atlantic Ocean. The basin sustains diverse economic activities, including irrigated and rainfed agriculture, mining, agro-food and numerous large manufacturing industries. The volume of water used in the basin is 3,861 hm³, of which 90% is mobilized surface water, stored in the local storage reservoirs, which permit the irrigation of more than 345,000 ha, the production of 1630 GWh of energy,  the provision of drinking water to 5 million inhabitants, and ensure a minimum river flow to maintain ecosystem health. Additionally, an annual volume of 165 hm³ is supplied to the cities of Casablanca and  Marrakech, outside the basin.

The problem results from increased demand, combined with low efficiency, especially in irrigation distribution networks and in the currently adopted irrigation practices (non-efficient irrigation methods and water intensive, non-economically sustainable cropping patterns). Past policies have targeted the increase of supply through surface water mobilization, the construction of irrigation networks to cope with the increased agricultural demand, governmental subsidies for facilitating the introduction of drip irrigation and wastewater treatment and enhancement of the knowledge base on water resources and their use. However, demand growth and increasing water stress necessitate new responses and instruments for reducing losses, introducing non-conventional supply sources and managing demand especially in the agricultural sector.

Oum Er Rbia Section of the INECO web site