Morocco builds 'water highway' to end seven-year drought crisis

Morocco is building its largest-ever hydraulic project, a giant "water highway" network, to combat the effects of a prolonged drought that hit the country between 2018 and 2025. The initiative aims to secure water resources and redistribute supply across the nation. A key part of the project is the connection between the Sebou and Bouregreg river basins, which has already transferred 953 million cubic meters of water to the Rabat-Casablanca axis in two years. By year's end, a link to the Oum Er-Rbia basin is planned to enable transfers of up to 1.2 billion cubic meters. The network includes 18 water transfer projects in various stages, with plans to strengthen the Laou-Loukos-Sebou connection for agricultural irrigation. This effort complements Morocco's shift toward seawater desalination and aims to reduce regional inequalities in water access.