2023-06-07 19:06:38
A World Bank-funded project is supplying water to remote villages in Morocco. More than 1.1 million people are now connected to a reliable supply of safe water. Thanks to this project, the populations benefit from a better quality of life, waterborne diseases are on the decline and new jobs are created.
Prior to the installation of a pipeline that conveys thepotable water In their village, the seven children of Fatima (first name changed to preserve her anonymity) regularly drank untreated water, used to irrigate crops. Fatima was aware of the harmful effects of this water on health: the contamination was such that one of her sons had been hospitalized for a whole year. But the family had little other solution, except to walk 10 kilometers to collect drinking water, which took up a good part of the day, often depriving the children of school. Until the day a water pipe was laid from a drinking water treatment plant, going to the center of the village where the inhabitants now come to get their supplies, at the tap of a standpipe. “Before, it was very difficult to get drinking water, explains Fatima. Both women and girls had to travel long distances to collect it. Today, thank God, the water [propre] is close to our house and the girls can go to school.” The mother of the family lives in Laaouissate, a village located in the region ofEl Jadida, on the Atlantic side of Morocco. Since 2014, Laaouissate and some 2,000 other douars (Moroccan villages) have been connected to a reliable source of drinking water, as part of the rural drinking water supply project, financed by the world Bank.
Support Morocco in its efforts to generalize drinking water supply
In 1995, Morocco launched the ambitious program for the grouped supply of drinking water to rural populations (PAGER). About 14% of the Moroccan rural population then had regular access to drinking water. The rest of this population either had to walk long distances to collect water, buy unregulated and expensive water from tankers, or resort to drinking unsafe water taken from rivers. , agricultural canals or wells. Since 2005, the World Bank has supported the PAGER through a series of projects. In particular, she contributed to connecting the rural areas main pipelines that carry treated water from dams and groundwater resources.
This approach has enabled Morocco to strengthen its resilience to the droughts to which it is exposed, while providing rural areas with a permanent supply of treated water, thus replacing the consumption of unsafe water drawn from wells and streams. The most recent phase of this project, which the World Bank has been supporting since 2014, includes an investment and technical support component of around $160 million. This operation focused specifically on the douars located in the most remote areas, particularly along the Atlantic coast and in the Rif and pre-Rif regions. At the end of the project in March 2023, there were nearly 1.1 million beneficiaries who now had access to drinking water through standpipes or individual connections.
In addition to access to water, the project contributed to the achievement of two major objectives of the national program, namely the sustainable supply of water to remote areas and the connection of households in more densely populated areas. Thanks to the installation of standpipes in the center of the villages, the number of beneficiaries has multiplied. To ensure quality service, a guarantee of the project’s sustainability, each local community appoints a “managing guardian” who promptly oversees the repair of small leaks and the maintenance of the standpipe. I’National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) collects a fixed fee of 2.54 dirhams (approximately $0.25) per m³ of water sold to the caretaker manager, who resells it to the inhabitants at a maximum rate of 10 dirhams (approximately $1) per m³. The caretaker-manager thus makes a modest profit, encouraging him to ensure the proper functioning and regular maintenance of the standpipe.
Engage residents and create jobs
Rachid El Kamouni, director of ONEE for the province of Sidi Bennour, explains that the project was essentially aimed at “improving the quality of life of the population”, adding nevertheless that it also contributed to the employment of some 2,000 guards. managers. The organizers confirm the proper functioning of the device. Hassan (first name changed to preserve his anonymity) wears a threadbare wide-brimmed straw hat that protects his wrinkled face from the sun. In Laaouissate, he is the caretaker managing the standpipes. “Before, water was a big concern, he recalls. Today, you can eat at this public fountain. The water is 100% pure and everyone benefits from it.” To achieve the second objective (connecting households in more densely populated areas), additional sanitation facilities must be added to manage wastewater.
The support of the population is a key factor: village meetings are therefore organized to inform the inhabitants of the advantages and costs of this solution before determining whether a majority of them wish to benefit from it. To ease the burden of sewer system installation fees, a revolving fund has been created, allowing households to spread out connection fee payments rather than paying all at once. “The benefits of a safe water supply in the most remote regions of Morocco are obvious, whether it is the reduction of the burden of disease due to unsafe water or the time savings obtained with the elimination fetching water,” says Carolina Dominguez-Torres, Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank, who has led the project for the past four years. “There are thus more young people attending school and adults can devote themselves to more productive activities”. The World Bank project has ended, but Morocco is continuing its efforts to connect those who are not yet connected to drinking water.
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