Water in Morocco – Team 1

Hero: Omar Benjelloun, the division chief of water, oversees operations related to water management,
distribution, and quality. He also develops strategies to ensure safe and reliable water supply.

Treasure: We aim to reach 1.8 billion cubic meters per year of drinking water production by 2030.

Dragon: However, according to the World Bank, Morocco is categorized as a water-scarce country, with
annual renewable freshwater resources of around 750 cubic meters per capita, well below the threshold of
1,000 cubic meters per capita used to define water scarcity.

Quest: How should Omar Benjelloun achieve annual drinking water production targets of 1.8 billion cubic
meters by 2030, given that the country is categorized as water-scarce with limited freshwater resources ?

Mr. Omar Benjelloun, to tackle the water scarcity issue in Morocco, we suggest pursuing the first option :
implementing 35 desalination stations across Morocco. This initiative is projected to yield approximately
XX billion cubic meters per year, ultimately leading us to achieve water autonomy by 2030 and ensuring
secure access to drinking water.
Major Advantages:
 Water Security
 Job Creation and Economic Growth
 Environmental Sustainability
 Autonomy and Self-Sufficiency
Major drawbacks:
 Cost
 High Energy Consumption
 Technological Limitations
Desalination stations remain the optimal solution for securing drinking water, primarily due to Morocco's
advantageous geographical position with coastlines on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic
Ocean. Moreover, Morocco benefits from numerous international partnerships that can support such
initiatives, alongside ample energy resources to sustain the energy-intensive desalination process. With 12
existing desalination stations, Morocco demonstrates technological advancement in this field.
Additionally, investing in desalination infrastructure not only generates employment opportunities and
stimulates economic growth but also enhances our autonomy and self-sufficiency in water resources.

We're 63% confident in this recommendation because we have existing desalination stations already in
operation, providing us with sufficient technical knowledge and a prototype for water production.
Specifically, the desalination station in Jorf Lasfar, operated by OCP, produces 25 million cubic meters
per year. In addition, investing in desalination units offers a long-term solution to water scarcity.

We might be wrong because there is uncertainty surrounding financial resources, building and operating
desalination plants can be expensive. we'll need to consider the initial investment, as well as ongoing
operational and maintenance costs. Also, desalination processes can have environmental consequences,
including energy consumption and the discharge of concentrated brine back into the ocean, which can
harm marine ecosystems. In addition, Communities may have concerns about the aesthetics, noise, and
potential impacts on tourism.

To pressure test our recommendation we recommend a two-pronged approach to thoroughly evaluate our
desalination station's performance and resilience:

1. Scenario Simulations: Develop hypothetical situations like equipment failures, water demand surges,
or droughts to assess the station's response under pressure. These simulations help identify weaknesses in
system design and operations, allowing proactive improvements for a more robust solution. Additionally,
we recommend evaluating the station's flexibility in adapting to demand fluctuations by analyzing its
scalability, process efficiency, and real-time production optimization strategies. (1)

2. Phased Implementation with Financial Security: To further pressure test the solution and minimize
potential risks, we suggest creating a solid financial plan guaranteeing sufficient funds for construction.
Furthermore, building the stations in batches allows for environmental, tourism, and ecological impact
studies after each phase, enabling adjustments and optimizations before full-scale deployment. This
phased approach minimizes potential negative consequences while providing valuable data for continuous
improvement. (2)

By combining these strategies, we gain valuable insights into the station's strengths and weaknesses,
ensuring a reliable and sustainable solution for water security.

(1)"Scenario-based planning for coastal desalination facilities under climate change uncertainty" by
Mohtar, R.H., et al. (2017) in Desalination and Water Treatment.

(2)"Resilience assessment of desalination systems: Methodology and application" by Al-Shami, S., et al.
(2019) in Desalination.
 In case we're wrong, we advise you to consider utilizing treated water through lagooning for agricultural
purposes. This approach would help conserve more than XX cubic meters per year of drinking water. By
repurposing treated water for irrigation, we can optimize water resource allocation, enhance agricultural
sustainability, and alleviate pressure on our limited freshwater reserves.

Index :
https://www.maroc-hebdo.press.ma/dessalement-eau-mer-strategie-sauver-maroc-soif#:~:text=Outre%20la
%20station%20du%20Grand,Agadir%2C%20op%C3%A9rationnelle%20depuis%20janvier%202022.

https://www.infomediaire.net/le-maroc-dispose-de-153-stations-de-traitement-des-eaux-usees/#:~:text=Lanc
%C3%A9%20en%202006%2C%20le%20programme,a%2Dt%2Dil%20ajout%C3%A9.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2023/08/14/make-it-rain-cloud-seeding-the-controversial-
weather-modification-technique_6093144_114.html#:~:text=The%20United%20States%2C%20the%20United,the
%20countries%20developing%20the%20method.