As part of the "Green Cities" and environmental technology transfer (Envitecc) programmes, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) are providing a loan of €12 million and a grant of €900,000 respectively to the Guelmim-Oued Noun region in Morocco. This funding will help to improve access to drinking water in rural areas, as well as irrigation and watering with treated wastewater.
Financing for Morocco in the water and treated wastewater reuse sectors is on the increase. On 8 December 2023, two financial institutions pledged around €13 million to support drinking water projects and the reuse of effluent in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide €12 million in the form of a loan, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) a grant of €900,000. The EBRD loan is guaranteed by the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD).
This funding supports the implementation of the Green Cities and Environmental Technology Transfer (Envitecc) programmes, which aim respectively to create a more sustainable future for municipalities, and to manage wastewater and pollution. If the Cherifian kingdom is concerned, it is because it also wants to strengthen climate resilience and water security, and improve the health and livelihoods of its populations. In Guelmim-Oued Noun, the aim is to promote the rational use of water.
Rehabilitation of drinking water networks
With a budget of €12 million granted by the EBRD, the regional authorities of Guelmim-Oued Noun will be tackling the problem of leaking water pipes, particularly in rural areas. The work will involve rehabilitating and extending the drinking water networks.
In addition to rationalising water use, the two programmes should help to remedy regional disparities and promote development. For the record, the Guelmim-Oued Noun region is driven by activities such as tourism, sea fishing, mining and agriculture.
In this region in southern Morocco, four wastewater treatment plants and recycling systems will be modernised in Guelmim, Lakhssas, Tan Tan and Mirleft: “These works will make it possible to save large quantities of water, i.e. around 10 million m3 of treated wastewater each year, which will be reused for watering the region’s green spaces and green belts”, says the EU.
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A technical assistance component, financed by the EU, will also help the region to identify appropriate operational and maintenance solutions for rural water supply services, as well as a suitable management model for the use of recycled water, in order to ensure the sustainability of investments.
Inès Magoum
