Morocco launches €347 million program to address structural water stress
via Le Matin7 min read
Morocco, facing structural water scarcity with an annual water endowment of approximately 620 m³ per inhabitant, has initiated a €347 million program to combat this challenge. The year 2024 marked the seventh consecutive year of drought in the Kingdom, exacerbating water resource depletion, while demand continues to grow by 3% annually since 2016 due to demographic pressure, economic development, and agricultural needs. Over-exploitation of groundwater, used to compensate for surface water deficits, is leading to salinization in coastal areas. Additionally, agricultural, industrial, and domestic pollution contribute to qualitative degradation of resources. The country also faces increasing climate hazards, including sudden intense rains and floods, with projections indicating a 2.3 °C rise in average temperature, nearly 30 additional days of extreme heat, and a 17% average decrease in annual precipitation by 2060. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC identifies Morocco as highly vulnerable to reduced rainfall and intensified extreme weather events. The program is co-financed by three sovereign loans of €100 million each from the Agence française de développement AFD, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti CDP, and the German Development Bank KfW, along with a €46.9 million grant from the European Union and an additional €0.4 million grant from AFD. This financial structure is divided into two components: €327 million for budget support linked to public policy reforms and res
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Bank Of Africa has introduced 'Summer Pop-Up' temporary banking service points for Moroccans residing abroad who are visiting Morocco. Throughout July, these services will be available in several tourist locations, including Agadir Corniche, Tiznit city center, and Dania Land park. The pop-up spaces operate daily from 10 AM to 10 PM. According to the bank, this initiative aims to complement its existing branch network by offering accessible services in areas with high foot traffic during the summer. The setup also includes a reception area and various activities at the different sites. Bank Of Africa's goal is to adapt its services to the travel patterns of Moroccans residing abroad during their holidays and to strengthen its engagement with this client segment during the summer season.
Hachette Book Group, Cengage Learning, Elsevier, and writer Scott Turow, along with his publishing company S.C.R.I.B.E., have filed a lawsuit in New York against Google. They allege that Google secretly copied millions of works from its digital library, Google Books, and other services, which were provided for limited use, to train its AI model, Gemini. The plaintiffs claim that Gemini can create books and compete with human authors at an unprecedented scale and speed, and that it even imitates the stylistic elements and creative choices of specific authors. They argue that content generated by Gemini directly competes with the original authors' works. The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop these practices and unspecified damages. This legal action is part of a series of copyright infringement lawsuits against AI companies. Several of these publishers, including Hachette, Cengage, Elsevier, and Scott Turow, had previously sued Meta in May in a New York court for similar reasons. In a related case, Anthropic, developer of the Claude AI models, reached an agreement in September to pay at least $1.5 billion to authors and publishers who sued it for illegally downloading millions of books. However, a judge in that case ruled that feeding a generative AI model with works theoretically protected by copyright did not constitute an infringement.
Two meetings were held by Laftit with leaders of political parties to review organizational and operational measures for the upcoming legislative elections. Discussions included the electoral list revision, which took place from May 15 to July 10, 2026, under the supervision of administrative commissions led by magistrates. A new electronic platform for submitting candidacies was presented, alongside the process for submitting original application files directly to the receiving authority. Legislative and regulatory provisions concerning state funding for electoral campaigns by political parties participating in the general elections for the House of Representatives were also reviewed. Party leaders were informed of King Mohammed VI's High Instruction to activate the central election monitoring commission, comprising the Minister of Interior and the President of the Public Prosecutor's Office. This commission will ensure the security and integrity of the electoral process at all stages. Regional commissions, composed of the Wali and the King's Attorney General, and provincial commissions, consisting of the Governor and the King's Prosecutor, will extend this oversight territorially. Political party leaders exchanged views on measures to ensure the legislative elections proceed smoothly. They expressed gratitude to King Mohammed VI for activating the central and regional/provincial election monitoring commissions. The meetings fostered a positive environment, with party leader