Ouagadougou: The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his accession to the Throne ‘with immense pride’, in the words of his message addressed to the nation, Tuesday in Rabat.
‘We give thanks to God for the many achievements that we have accumulated over these years and for the multiple achievements that we have accomplished in terms of political and institutional reforms and with regard to the consolidation of Moroccan identity,’ affirms the Moroccan sovereign in his speech to the nation on the occasion of Throne Day.
‘We have also launched a number of economic and developmental projects and social programs which aim to guarantee social cohesion and ensure citizens’ access to basic services,’ continued the King.
He also underlined that during these 25 years, he ‘strove to establish the intangibility of territorial integrity and to consolidate Morocco’s place as an influential actor and responsible and reliable partner at the regional and international levels’ .
Despite the achi
evements which “give confidence to approach the future with optimism”, Morocco remains faced with challenges which “require us to redouble efforts and vigilance, to design innovative solutions, to subordinate models of management according to the rules of good governance,’ recognized the King.
One of these major challenges, he said, ‘is the problem of water, which continues to become more complex due to drought, the impact of climate change and the natural growth of request”.
This situation, he explained ‘is also attributable to the delay in the completion of certain projects programmed within the framework of the water policy’.
To deal with these conditions from which many regions suffer, especially in rural areas, the Moroccan sovereign says he has given ‘directives to the competent authorities so that they take the urgent and innovative measures necessary to prevent water shortages’ .
King Mohammed VI stressed ‘the need for optimal implementation of the various components of the National Program for th
e supply of drinking water and irrigation 2020-2027, which contributed, by the grace of God, to mitigating the seriousness of the water situation.
He also insisted ‘on the imperative of a continuous update of the levers of the national water policy and on the definition of a strategic objective, whatever the circumstances: guarantee drinking water to all citizens and cover at least 80% of irrigation needs throughout the national territory.
In this regard, it is essential, he said, ‘to complete the dam construction program, giving priority to projects scheduled in regions experiencing significant rainfall.’
Mohammed VI, may God help him, also called to ‘accelerate the completion of major water transfer projects between hydraulic basins’.
These projects will allow, in his opinion, ‘the exploitation of a billion cubic meters of water which was lost in the sea and will guarantee a balanced spatial distribution of national water resources’.
By 2030, Morocco will be able, according to the forecast of its King,
to ‘cover more than half of its drinking water needs from these stations, irrigate significant agricultural areas and in this way strengthen its food security’ .
The Sovereign called for ‘the development of a national water desalination industry, the creation of training courses for specialized engineers and technicians, the encouragement of the creation of national companies specializing in the realization and maintenance of desalination plants.
He nevertheless wanted to warn ‘that no negligence, no delay, no mismanagement is tolerated in an issue as crucial as water’.
The King of Morocco ended his speech to the nation by paying tribute to his illustrious predecessors, ‘valiant martyrs of the Nation’, his grandfather, the late Mohammed V and his father, the late Hassan II.
Mohammed VI succeeded his father Hassan II on July 23, 1999, who died that same day. His official enthronement took place on July 30, 1999 at the royal palace in Rabat.
Hassan II ascended the throne of his ancestors in February 1961 f
ollowing the death of his father Mohammed V. He is the founding father of the kingdom of independent Morocco and reigned for 38 years.
Source: Burkina Information Agency