Morocco has decided to construct nine new major dams and eight mid-size dams by the year 2004, in an effort to alleviate water shortages in the country, stated the Minister of Supplies, Bin Omar Taghwan.
Taghwan added that Morocco intends to build a total of 30 new dams by 2025 with costs running into the billions.
The dams are designed to satisfy water needs for various uses, the first of which is irrigation, reported Al-Hayat daily. The agricultural sector in Morocco consumes about 80 percent of the available water in the Kingdom, estimated at 14 billion cubic meters.
Local per capita water consumption dropped to 950 cubic meters in 2000, down from 1,200 cubic meters a decade ago, according to sources in the Moroccan Ministry of Supplies. This quantity is expected to continue to fall to as little as 632 cubic meters by 2025, unless new water investment projects are launched. ― (MENA Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
