Morocco has announced its plan to supply 60% of its drinking water from desalinated seawater by 2030, up from 25%. The message was clear: the country is rebuilding its water future from the ground up.
The North African giant aims to produce 1.7 billion cubic metres of desalinated water each year, powered almost entirely by renewable energy. Alongside this, the government is restoring dams, protecting overdrawn aquifers, and constructing large transfer networks designed to keep cities from reaching crisis levels during dry spells.
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This decision to move so quickly toward desalination is rooted in a worsening water emergency that can no longer be ignored. Per-capita water availability has dropped from 2,560 m³ in the 1960s to just 565 m³ recently, dangerously close to the threshold of absolute scarcity. Droughts have cut rainfall by 70%, and some of the country’s biggest dams have fallen to historic lows. Agriculture, which uses about 85% of national water resources, is struggling to maintain both local food supply and export production. With aquifers sinking, temperatures rising, and reservoirs evaporating faster than they can refill, Morocco has accepted that relying on rainfall is no longer sustainable.
In response, the country is rolling out one of Africa’s most ambitious desalination programmes, powered entirely by clean energy. Seventeen plants are already in operation, producing 345 million m³ per year. Four major new plants, including the Casablanca facility, set to become the largest in Africa, are under construction. By 2030, Morocco expects desalination alone to cover the majority of its drinking water needs. Some plants, such as the Tiznit facility, will also provide irrigation water, helping farmers stabilise production in drought-hit regions.
But desalination is only part of the plan. Morocco is investing heavily in a full water rebuilding programme that involves new transfer systems, expanded dams, and the reuse of treated wastewater. The National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation (2020–2027), supported by around $45 billion, works alongside the longer-term National Water Plan (2050). The Sebou–Bouregreg “water highway” has already delivered hundreds of millions of cubic metres of water to struggling urban areas. More than 40 new dams are underway, and wastewater recycling is being scaled up for farms and industries that need reliable water throughout the year.
Renewable energy is central to all of this. Morocco’s large solar and wind farms give it the capacity to power desalination in a way that avoids the high emissions seen in many Middle Eastern countries. The government is also testing floating solar panels on reservoirs to limit evaporation and preserve precious surface water, an innovation that could prove vital as temperatures rise.
Globally, Morocco’s approach is becoming a reference point for countries grappling with climate stress. While many African nations still depend heavily on rainfall, Morocco is developing a model built on diversification: desalination for cities, efficient irrigation for agriculture, and renewable energy to keep the system affordable and sustainable. International organisations have begun highlighting Morocco’s strategy as an example of forward-thinking water management in a warming world.
The path ahead will still be challenging. Costs remain high, rural communities need better access, and climate unpredictability will continue testing the system. But Morocco’s direction is clear. By 2030, seawater will play a central role in providing drinking water, agriculture will increasingly rely on efficient irrigation and resilient crops, and renewable-powered desalination will support both communities and emerging industries. Morocco is showing that even under intense climate pressure, countries can rethink their future and build something stronger, steadier, and better prepared for the years ahead.
