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GPB 2026

Reuse of wastewater in agriculture in Morocco: Sustainability challenges for water, food, and the environment in a context of climate change

Benlemlih Noura , Speaker at Plant Biology Conferences
ibn Tofail University, Morocco
Title : Reuse of wastewater in agriculture in Morocco: Sustainability challenges for water, food, and the environment in a context of climate change

Abstract:

In a context of increased water stress, where Morocco has barely 620 m³ of water per capita per year well below the scarcity threshold of 1000 m³ the reuse of treated wastewater appears to be a strategic solution to support agriculture, which consumes about 87% of mobilized water resources. This presentation begins with an analysis of the general context of reuse in Morocco, in a climate change scenario where rainfall has fallen by 30% over the last two decades. It then discusses national efforts to mobilize water resources, notably through the 150 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) currently in operation, with a treatment capacity of over 530 million m³ per year. However, less than 10% of this treated water is currently reused, mainly for the irrigation of green spaces and pilot agricultural areas. The potential for recovery is significant, with an estimated 325 million m³ of reusable wastewater by 2030, which could irrigate up to 90 000 hectares. Finally, the prospects and constraints are discussed, taking into account technical (treatment quality), institutional (still incomplete regulatory frameworks), economic (high investment costs), and social (user acceptability) challenges, with the aim of strengthening water governance and sustainably anchoring reuse in national climate change adaptation strategies

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