To the south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the Draa river winds through lush palm groves before disappearing into the dunes of the Sahara Desert. The valley of the Kingdom's longest river is home to one of the most beautiful oases as well as a unique cultural heritage site, with its pisé (rammed earth) kasbahs (citadels) and former Berber ksours (castles).
Zagora, the main town of the eponymous province, overlooks the river valley and vast palm groves. Here, the ochre mountain glows with an array of colours at sunset. The town, a trading crossroads, was once an important stop on the route followed by caravans loaded with salt and gold from Tombouctou.
Today, Zagora's economy is mainly driven by tourism. Standing at the gateway to the desert, it is a starting point for adventurers from all over the world seeking to escape into the stunning desert landscapes and explore the province's exceptional cultural heritage.
Still, this picture-postcard setting is troubled by a major concern: water resources are steadily declining, potentially endangering the well-being of the people who live here and the province's socioeconomic development. The issue of water stress is constantly in residents' minds.
Water scarcity is a threat to the tourism sector in particular. Saïd Elberkaoui has managed the Riad Lamane Hotel for five years. He confirmed that "water is precious, but two years ago, it started to become even scarcer. If the situation had gone on for longer or intensified, it could have affected tourism."
Nestled in the heart of the palm grove, the riad offers high-quality services. From the bedrooms to the restaurant and garden, the amenities have to be perfect to keep customers satisfied. Yet, if water had become any scarcer, it would have hindered the smooth functioning of the hotel. Berkaoui said , "I feared that in the long term, the tourists would no longer come, and my employees would lose their jobs."
Transformational investments
Fortunately, Morocco acknowledged the scale of the problem a few years ago. The Kingdom responded by accelerating investments in infrastructure to secure and strengthen drinking water supplies.
In Zagora province, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) recently completed the construction of a water treatment plant and a 127 kilometre drinking water supply system. The total cost exceeded €55 million, funded by a loan from the African Development Bank. Combined with water-saving and optimisation measures, this pioneering policy has benefited over 300,000 people. The towns of Zagora and Agdez and surrounding villages now have access to an abundant and high-quality supply of this valuable resource.
For Firdaous Allouli, a cook at the Riad Lamane, the situation has completely changed. "My kitchen works better, we're more efficient and we can be more responsive to customers' requests. We also have more opportunities," she said with enthusiasm.
The certainty of daily water has boosted the tourism sector overall and given key players in the sector hope for the future. As Berkaoui said, "It's a further motivation to develop the riad and, why not, even recruit staff."
Although the residents of Zagora province are seeing conditions improve, Morocco continues to face an inescapable decline in its water resources. In response, public authorities are bringing together stakeholders around the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Programme (PNAEPI 2020-2027) to resolve this complex challenge.
The African Development Bank has been working in partnership with the ONEE since the late 1970s. It has contributed to implementing major structural projects that strengthen and secure access to water, and which have improved water systems in 30 Moroccan cities representing over 15 million inhabitants.
In total, the Kingdom has invested €1.2 billion in water projects. For Achraf Tarsim, the African Development Bank's Country Manager for Morocco, the partnership is set to flourish. He said, "The urgency today is to be where water shortages are starting to appear. (...) We have been, are and will remain at Morocco's side to help it tackle water challenges with our partner, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water."
Firdaous Allouli, chef at the "Riad Lamane" guest house Zagora drinking water supply project
Saïd El Berkaoui, gérant Manager of "Riad Lamane" guest house Zagora drinking water supply project
