Japan is financing a new drinking water supply project in Chtouka-Aït Baha province with a grant of 69,461 euros, or around 720,000 dirhams, to a Moroccan association serving around 1,300 residents in three douars in the communes of Aouguenz and Tanalt.
The grant agreement was signed Tuesday in Rabat by Nakata Masahiro, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Morocco, and the Azour N’boutouala Association for Development and Cooperation.
The funding is being provided under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), commonly known as KUSANONE. Launched in 1989, the program allows Japan to provide direct support to local organizations implementing projects that address development needs at the local level.
According to data provided by the Japanese Embassy, 377 projects carried out by Moroccan associations have benefited from the program since its launch, with total funding approaching 182 million dirhams.
The project will include the installation of solar-powered systems at three pumping stations, helping provide a more reliable water supply while reducing the energy costs of operating the water infrastructure and promoting the use of renewable energy.
According to the embassy, the equipment will also strengthen the resilience of the water supply system during periods of drought and contribute to improving living conditions for the communities concerned over the long term.
The project is also expected to ease the difficulties associated with transporting water over long distances, an issue affecting some rural communities in the region.
The Azour N’boutouala Association for Development and Cooperation had previously received Japanese support for a drinking water project in Aouguenz. In 2009, a grant of 58,910 euros helped finance the installation of 2,355 meters of pipelines, the construction of a water reservoir and four public standpipes serving the local rural population.
At the signing ceremony, Nakata Masahiro praised “the remarkable commitment of Moroccan civil society to local development and the well-being of communities” while reaffirming “Japan’s determination to continue supporting initiatives that contribute to sustainable human development in the Kingdom.”
