Water security has become one of the most urgent development priorities in North Africa. Morocco, after years of drought, pressure on dams, declining groundwater reserves, and rising demand from cities and agriculture, is accelerating a major national shift toward seawater desalination.
The country now aims to supply 60% of its drinking water from desalinated seawater by 2030. This represents a major increase from the current level of about 25% and shows how desalination is becoming a central pillar of Morocco’s long-term water security strategy.
Morocco also plans to produce about 1.7 billion cubic meters of desalinated water annually by 2030 through projects already under construction and additional plants expected to move through tendering and development. This scale of investment places Morocco among the most active African countries in the use of desalination as a response to climate-driven water scarcity.
The strategy is closely linked to renewable energy. New desalination plants are expected to be powered by renewable energy, helping reduce the operating cost and environmental footprint of seawater treatment. This is important because desalination can be energy-intensive, and the long-term success of such systems depends on affordable and sustainable power supply.
One of the largest planned desalination projects is expected near Tiznit in southern Morocco, with an estimated investment of about 10 billion dirhams. The project is designed to produce large volumes of desalinated water and contribute to national drinking-water security. Other projects are also planned or under development in areas such as Casablanca, Rabat, and Tantan.
Morocco’s approach is not only about producing drinking water. It is also about protecting inland freshwater resources. By supplying coastal cities and some demand centers with desalinated seawater, the country can reduce pressure on dams and groundwater, allowing more inland water to remain available for agriculture, rural areas, and strategic reserves.
This is highly relevant for African water professionals because Morocco’s desalination programme connects multiple technical and institutional fields. It involves seawater intake design, reverse osmosis technology, brine management, renewable-energy integration, coastal engineering, pumping systems, transmission pipelines, public-private partnership models, environmental assessment, operation and maintenance, and long-term water governance.
Morocco’s experience also shows that water security in Africa is entering a new phase. Traditional surface-water infrastructure remains important, but many countries will increasingly need diversified water sources. This includes desalination, wastewater reuse, groundwater management, inter-basin transfers, leakage reduction, demand management, and climate-resilient planning.
Opportunity Watch:
- Seawater desalination plants
- Reverse osmosis systems
- Renewable-powered water infrastructure
- Coastal intake and outfall works
- Brine management and marine environmental protection
- Water transmission pipelines
- Pumping stations and storage reservoirs
- Energy-water integration
- Public-private partnership models
- Desalination plant operation and maintenance
- Water-quality monitoring
- Urban drinking-water supply
- Climate-resilient water planning
- Environmental and social impact assessment
- Construction supervision and project management
- Training for desalination engineers and technicians
- Research on desalination cost reduction
- Water security policy and regulation
For African water experts, Morocco’s desalination programme is a major case to follow. It creates lessons for countries facing drought, coastal urban growth, groundwater depletion, and unreliable surface-water availability. It also creates opportunities for engineers, hydrologists, hydrogeologists, environmental specialists, energy experts, civil engineers, membrane-technology specialists, contractors, consultants, researchers, and students.
The project is also important for the wider African water sector because it demonstrates the connection between water security and energy transition. Desalination alone is not enough if energy is expensive or carbon-intensive. Renewable-powered desalination may become one of the strongest models for countries with long coastlines, strong solar and wind potential, and growing urban water demand.
For AquaLinked / Water for Africa Experts, Morocco’s desalination strategy is exactly the kind of water-sector development that deserves close attention. It shows that future African water security will depend on innovation, planning, regional learning, professional capacity, environmental responsibility, and strong technical institutions.
Morocco’s case sends a clear message: climate pressure is changing the water sector. Countries that prepare early, diversify their water sources, invest in technology, and train skilled professionals will be better positioned to protect communities, cities, agriculture, and economic development in the decades ahead.
Sources
Official references used for this article.
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