2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

MOROCCO PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
Morocco
Economics (2003)
GDP per capita US$1,310
GDP per capita (PPP) US$3,940
GDP in Agriculture 17%
GDP in Industry 30%
GDP in Services 54%
Management
A national plan for water and water resource management was adopted in 1995. This has been
augmented with regional and city based plans for the larger urban areas. The emphasis remains on
irrigation issues, but there is an increasing concern about the need for sewerage and sewage
treatment infrastructure.
Population
2003 (million) 30.1
2015 (million) 35.4
Urbanisation in 2003 57%
Urbanisation by 2015 65%
In urban agglomerations, 2015 21%
Service coverage
In 1985, 63% of urban households had piped water, compared with 2% of rural households. Rural
water coverage increased to 14% by 1994 and 55% in 2003, with the aim of 90% coverage by 2007.
90% of urban households had lavatories of some description, compared with 19% of rural
households. In 1983, 87% of households in Rabat had access to potable water and 95% had access
to adequate sanitation, but none of the sewerage effluents were treated.
The Moroccan Government is seeking to mobilise an additional 6.2 billion m 3 of water per annum on
top of the current withdrawal of 13.9 billion m 3 per annum by 2020. Connection to piped water in
urban areas was planned to rise to 90% in 2000 and to 98% by 2020. Approximately 80% of the rural
population is to be connected to piped water by 2005. In 1997, PAGER, a rural water provision
programme was launched. It is seeking to serve 11 million people in 31,000 localities through the
rehabilitation of 30,000 water storage units, installing or renovating 20,000 water pumps and
developing 1,300 local water sources. The rate of sewerage connections in urban areas is to be
improved to 90% in 2005 and 95% by 2015. All major urban centres are to be provided with primary
treatment by 2005, with these facilities being upgraded to secondary or tertiary standard between
2005 and 2015.
Urban Data
Served by piped water 85%
Access to sewerage 69%
With sewage treatment 5%
Pricing policies
Domestic water is provided for DH30 per year where usage is below 24m 3 per annum, except in
Casablanca and Rabat, where it costs DH84 and DH74 respectively. Since 1996, measures have
been taken to discourage excessive domestic usage by bringing in additional charges for usage
above the basic quantity. These are DH2.47 per m 3 in Méknès and DH7.15m 3 in Casablanca for 24-
60m 3 per annum and DH9.87 per m 3 in Casablanca for more than 60m 3 per annum. Industrial tariffs
in 1996 raged from DH1.59 per m 3 in Méknès to DH6.01 per m 3 in Safi.
141 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006