Morocco’s technological solutions to water crisis spark concerns in France and Spain

Morocco is facing its sixth consecutive year of drought, significantly impacting its agricultural sector and raising alarm over access to drinking water. As a result, tackling water scarcity has become a top priority for King Mohammed VI. Marking the 25th anniversary of his ascension to the throne, he pledged to harness technology and improve governance to address the issue.

However, two of Morocco’s chosen technological solutions—seawater desalination and cloud seeding—have raised concerns in France and Spain, according to a report by Morocco World News.

French media outlet Vert Eco highlighted the potential environmental risks associated with seawater desalination. The process generates “brine discharge,” a highly concentrated salt solution mixed with chemicals, which is released back into the sea. This can alter the salt concentration in the water, negatively impacting marine life and disrupting ecosystems. The report also flagged the high energy consumption involved in desalination.

Meanwhile, in Spain, weather experts expressed worries over Morocco’s use of cloud seeding to produce artificial rain. They warned that manipulating the weather could have unintended consequences, such as causing floods in regions unaccustomed to heavy rainfall in both Morocco and Spain. Additionally, they cautioned that such geo-engineering efforts might lead to more frequent extreme weather events.

Despite these concerns, cloud seeding is not a new practice for Morocco. The country has been researching geo-engineering since the 1980s and reportedly conducted 27 cloud-seeding operations between 2021 and 2022, with an additional 22 operations the following year, according to Morocco World News.