The main goal of the Water Access Sustainability and Security Project (PPSAE) is to secure access to drinking water in the Guercif, Zagora, Al Hoceima, Tangier and BéniMellal provinces. The project area includes all these regions’ urban and rural agglomerations witnessing a significant industrial boom, in view of the new “Mohammed VI TangierTech” City in Tangier, the Tadla Agropole Project at Béni Mellal, as well as other industrial and agro-industrial zones in El Hoceima and Béni Mellal. The project aims to meet the increased need for drinking and industrial water in these areas up to 2040 (in line with the Morocco's Water Strategy 2040). The project was estimated in 2018 to cost UA 194 million (Bank-financed activities cost ofUA 97 million, comprising an ADB loan of EUR 79.33 million and an AGTF loan of USD 43.36 million), and was expected to be implemented over five (5) years(2019-2023).
Following the award of almost all the contracts for goods, works and services, a budget overrun in theADB and AGTF loan resources for the Bank-financed activities was recorded. This overrun is attributable mainly to: (i) the increase in the price of steel; and (ii) the increase in the price of transport.
The project is designed to secure access to drinking water in both urban and rural areas in the designated regions. It will benefit the populations of Guercif, Zagora, Al Hoceima and BéniMellal, currently about 1.2 million (60% of which live inrural areas). It will also benefit communities in and around Tangier, with an estimated population of 1.3 million. Therefore, the project will benefit over 2.5 million people initially, and over 3.3 million in 2040, within the project's time scale.
The project covers four regions, namely Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (Tangier and El Hoceima), Darâa-Tafilalet (Zagora), Oriental (Guercif) and BéniMellal-Khénifra (BéniMellal). These regions are classified among those with a Multidimensional Poverty Incidence (MPI) ranging from 9.5 to 13.4—higher than the national average of 8.2%. The national overall poverty rate is 11.7%, but it is significantly higher in Darâa-Tafilalet (20.7%) and BéniMellal-Khénifra(19.1%)
