Despite a context very favorable to water management, at least in comparison to other countries of the South Mediterranean region, an analysis of the current situation with focus on sanitation reveals weaknesses in certain sectors such as:

• Significant delays regarding sanitation in rural areas, compared to urban areas.
• Shortcomings in the reuse of wastewater, most particularly in agriculture.
• An insufficient institutional framework to regulate the fate of sewage sludge, including its application in agriculture.
• Incompleteness of the relevant institutional framework, discharge standards in particular, to manage the problem of industrial waste.
• The River Basin Agencies, which are key tools for the management and protection of the resources, may not currently operate normally, as per definition in the relevant texts.
• Other sectors have also been suffering certain weaknesses such as, for instance, the case of the amount of rates for Water Supply and Sanitation, which are clearly too low to allow management agencies to cover the cost of services and gain economic independence.

The review aims to strengthen and complete Morocco’s undertakings towards an Integrated Management of Water resources (IWRM) to which the country has committed since 2010 through: the management of water demand and supply, the improvement of water efficiency and the protection to natural hazards, institutional and regulatory reforms and the modernization of information and capacity building systems.

In particular, the Review suggests that priority actions to achieve progress should aim at:

• Although there is a very good level of communication and coordination, facilitating the decision-making process through making lighter the decision making structure currently involving several ministries and agencies, will fasten processes.
• Developing a comprehensive institutional framework for the reuse and strengthening of specialized technical expertise in the field.
• Moving forward with the development of industrial waste standards to allow River Basin Agencies to gain financial independence through collection of fees and to put their policies into practice.
• Establishing and developing a sanitation policy in rural areas and the appropriate technology.
• Revising existing databases and creating a national water database.
• Increasing participation of stakeholders and water users in the management of water and sanitation, and improving information and communication strategies.
• Regulating the treatment and recovery of sewage sludge, through interventions at the institutional and technical levels.
• Taking better account of the concept of Public Health and the establishment of an appropriate framework.

To download the full document (only available in French) click here

For the executive summary (in English) click here