Securing reliable access to water has always been difficult across much of Africa. However, climate change is now intensifying this challenge, pushing many regions toward deeper and more frequent water crises. As droughts become longer and more severe, governments face rising pressure to protect livelihoods, food systems, and public health. Against this backdrop, water infrastructure developments in North Africa are emerging as potential models for other parts of the continent.
Recent crises elsewhere underline the scale of the threat. In Iran, officials have warned that the capital, Tehran, could face evacuation because of chronic water shortages caused by failed seasonal rains. Africa has already experienced similar close calls. In 2018, Cape Town narrowly avoided the feared “Day Zero,” when municipal water supplies were expected to run out entirely. More recently, extended dry spells across eastern and southern Africa have devastated agricultural production and deepened food insecurity.
Climate Change Pushes Water to the Top of the Agenda
These growing risks dominated discussions at the World Water Congress, held earlier this month in Marrakesh, Morocco. Delegates from across the Global South emphasized the urgency of strengthening water infrastructure to cope with climate shocks.
Retno Marsudi, the United Nations Secretary-General’s special envoy on water, painted a stark picture. She warned that the world is not on track to achieve universal access to safe water and sanitation. By 2030, an estimated 4.8 billion people could face health and livelihood risks linked to poor water quality, a burden that will fall disproportionately on developing regions, including Africa.
Non-Conventional Water Solutions in Morocco
Marrakesh provided a fitting venue for the Congress, given Morocco’s long history of water innovation. Centuries ago, farmers in the Atlas Mountains constructed underground tunnels known as khettaras to channel scarce water toward farms and settlements downstream. Today, that tradition of ingenuity continues through modern, large-scale infrastructure.
One of the city’s most striking examples is its extensive use of recycled wastewater. Many visitors may not realize that the lush golf courses and green spaces around Marrakesh are irrigated using treated wastewater rather than freshwater supplies.
Since 2011, Moroccan parastatal SRM-MS has operated a $1.5 billion wastewater treatment facility serving the city. Treated water is used not only for landscaping and palm groves but also in industrial processes, including phosphate production by mining giant OCP. The facility applies primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment processes to remove solids, break down organic matter, and disinfect water to safe reuse standards.
Few cities globally reuse wastewater at the scale achieved in Marrakesh. This progress has been supported by a mix of public funding and contributions from major water users, such as hotels, which benefit directly from secure supplies.
Financing Constraints in Sub-Saharan Africa
Across much of sub-Saharan Africa, replicating such investments remains difficult. Large-scale funding for non-conventional water resources is often constrained, and the situation is becoming more challenging as international donor funding declines.
Rachel Cardone, director of strategy and investment at the Resilient Water Accelerator, describes the sector as being in a period of disruption. Many African governments subsidize water systems but rely heavily on donors due to limited domestic tax bases. As donor support tightens, countries must explore new financing models.
Cardone argues that momentum is building for Africa-led solutions, with greater involvement from domestic capital providers and governments willing to rethink how water infrastructure is funded. This shift could help reduce dependence on external aid and create more sustainable, locally driven systems.
Water Governance and the Data Gap
Despite water’s central role in economic and social stability, experts say it has often been underprioritized by African governments. Rashid Mbaziira, executive secretary of African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), notes that many decision-makers lack access to reliable data on rainfall patterns and water availability.
Without accurate information, governments struggle to manage resources effectively or plan long-term investments. While awareness of the challenge is improving, Mbaziira warns that finance ministries often underestimate the opportunity costs of failing to invest in water infrastructure. As a result, funding allocations rarely match the scale of the threat posed by climate change.
Morocco’s Desalination Push
Morocco has responded by accelerating a major overhaul of its water infrastructure, with desalination at the center of its strategy. According to Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s minister of equipment and water, desalination capacity expanded from 35 million cubic meters in 2021 to 350 million cubic meters today. By 2030, the country aims to reach 1.7 billion cubic meters, enough to supply around 60% of national drinking water demand.
Crucially, Morocco plans to power desalination facilities entirely with renewable energy. Abundant wind and solar resources help cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions, lowering desalination costs to about $0.40 per cubic meter. Baraka says climate change has already reduced Morocco’s water capacity by 30% since the 1980s, with further losses expected by 2040, making new solutions unavoidable.
Lessons for the Rest of Africa
Morocco’s experience is increasingly seen as a model for other African nations. Senegal, for instance, recently signed a deal with Saudi firm ACWA Power to build a desalination plant near Dakar capable of supplying 400,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day.
Moroccan companies are also positioning themselves as partners for sub-Saharan governments, offering expertise in mobile desalination units that can operate during dry seasons when water demand peaks. Beyond desalination, Morocco is investing in “water highways,” large transfer systems that move water from surplus regions to deficit areas. A 66km pipeline already supplies Rabat and Casablanca from the Sebou River, with plans to extend the network to 400km by 2035.
Balancing Supply and Demand
Experts caution that megaprojects alone are not enough. Youssef Brouziyne of the International Water Management Institute notes that while dams and desalination plants can boost supply, they also have drawbacks. Large reservoirs in hot climates lose significant volumes to evaporation, as seen at Egypt’s Lake Nasser.
Brouziyne stresses that managing demand is just as important as expanding supply. Agriculture, mining, and even data centers must reduce water intensity and protect water quality. As Africa faces a drier future, innovation in both supply and demand management will be essential to secure water for generations to come.
