Morocco's Access to Clean Drinking Water

How Morocco's rural communities got access to clean drinking water 

By 2004, Morocco was struggling to expand access to clean water in rural areas due to high costs, drought, and failing infrastructure. Millions of people faced health risks, and women and girls spent hours fetching water instead of going to school or working.

To address the crisis, the national water utility, ONEP, with support from international donors, built new infrastructure linked to reservoirs and began partnering with private companies to manage, maintain, and expand the system. By 2014, access to potable water in rural Morocco had risen from 61% to 94%, improving health and freeing up time for women and girls. Despite lingering concerns about sustainability, the program had delivered clean water to over 12 million people by 2016.