Water Management: Morocco, Israel Called upon to Strengthen their Partnership (Israeli minister)

Casablanca – Morocco and Israel, which are facing the same challenge of drought, are called upon to strengthen their partnership for better management of the scarcity of water resources, said, Wednesday in Casablanca, the minister of Science, Technology and Space, Orit Farkash-Hacohen.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the “Morocco-Israel – Connect to Innovate” forum, the minister stressed that innovative Israeli companies can contribute enormously to the achievement of the objectives set out by Morocco and Israel in several areas, such as the management of water and renewable energies.

She highlighted, in this regard, the successful experience of Israel, a country historically impacted by the lack of water resources, which currently manages to fully meet its water needs, with a surplus of 20%.

The scarcity of water resources has pushed Israel to innovate technologically, promoting water desalination processes with a focus on energy efficiency, wastewater treatment and smart irrigation to reduce water consumption, said the minister.

Israel has built some of the largest sewage treatment units in the world, she said, noting that drinking water in Israel comes mainly from its five desalination units.

In terms of electricity, there are many technologies for producing electricity in Israel, the minister noted, while underlining the importance of solar energy and technologies for energy efficiency, energy saving and energy storage.

Regarding the fight against climate change, the two countries can also build synergies and win-win partnerships, said Ms. Farkash-Hacohen, recalling that Israel, like Morocco, has set itself ambitious objectives in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the Israeli minister highlighted the rapid growth of the High-Tech sector in Israel, which accentuates the needs in terms of human resources, noting that Morocco has a competent youth in High-Tech, opening the path to successful partnerships.

This Forum, organized by Start-Up Nation Central, is intended to be a unique event bringing together Moroccan and Israeli leaders, from the private and public sectors, to discuss the theme of technological innovation in the sectors of agri-food, water, logistics, energy and sustainable development.

The event features a series of workshops, business sessions, B2B meetings and networking meetings.