The economic and social development which has been taking place in Morocco during the last decades allowed to set up the basic infrastructures of the national economy and answer the socio-educational needs of the population. Several sectors grew considerably such as tourism, industry, fishing, water, housing, etc …   This development brought about an increasing exploitation of natural resources and a degradation of the environment due to the emission of liquid, gas and solid discharges in the absence of technical and statutory measures which can face this degradation (the cost of the environment degradation exceeded 8 % of the GDP).

The complexity of the environmental problems and their economic and social implications requires synthetic and objective information allowing to elaborate strategies likely to stop the destruction of the natural environment.

Therefore, Information about the environment became of great importance for the constituents of the environment namely: water, waste, land exploitation, air, fauna and flora.

The main sources of information are: Ministry of Equipment, Ministry of Territory development, Water and Environment, Ministry in charge of Housing and Urbanism, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Economy Upgrading, Ministry of Energy and Mining, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Sea Fisheries,

Head Office of District Councils and the National Office of Drinking Water.

Definitions

Water

Renewable resources are determined by the superficial and underground flows formed or entering into the territory. They are subject to various exploitation constraints. Renewable resources are calculated on the basis of hydrologic data by referring to quite a long period so that the used average values can be considered as stable. They can be subdivided according to:  

The origin (internal flow formed inside and outside the territory), according to the occurrence variability (regular flow i.e. 95 % of time or irregular), according to the environment (superficial or underground flow), or quality (sweet or brackish water).

The surface water (sweet) is that which flows or stagnates on the surface of the ground: natural masses of water, like rivers, brooks, streams lakes, etc., and the artificial masses of water like irrigation canals, industrial canals and navigation canals, drainage networks and artificial reservoirs.

Underground waters (sweet) are present and, generally, can be found in or through an underground formation. That is, any source of water, whether permanent or temporary, constituted naturally or artificially, present underground in enough quantities to be used for one season.

The annual precipitation represents the annual total volume of atmospheric precipitations (rain, snow, hail…)

The real annual evapotranspiration (ETR) is the total annual sum of water evaporation of all reservoirs (natural or artificial) and the evaporation by plants and soil.

Resources include also the streaming of rainy waters in surface waters and the infiltration which feeds aquifers (equivalent of P-ETR).

The annual external contribution is the annual total volume of contribution of surface waters and underground waters entering a country from a neighbour country.

Underground waters meant for annual use are the evaluation of the maximum volume of water which can be used annually from the national underground resources according to the existing economic and technical conditions without resulting in the exhaustion of the basic long-term resource. 

The long-term annual averages are calculated over a long period, generally 20 consecutive years or more.

Raw water use represents volumes of water used definitely or temporarily from one source.

Generally speaking, the other supply sources (sea or brackish waters) can be used only after specific treatments. They are called non conventional production or artificial productions. The desalination of salty and brackish waters, the regeneration of water (re-use of waste water of municipalities and drainage) are also included in this category.

Quality of surface waters

The knowledge of the quality of water is based on the control of numerous parameters, such as:

· Dissolved oxygen, saturation of oxygen, BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) for organic pollution;

· Nitrogen and phosphor concerning pollution by fertilizers;

· The concentration of metals concerning industrial pollution.

The levels required of dissolved oxygen are a condition for Flora and Fauna Diversity.

The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the quantity of oxygen used in specific conditions by chemical oxidation, bichromate, of the organic or inorganic matter found in water.

Waste

The production of solid waste allows us to better know the impact of human activity according to the main economic sectors on the environment and the quality of life. The produced quantities depend on the production systems and industrial structures in addition to the level of consumption.

The term industrial waste does not refer to products meant to be sold or those which are not useful for the producer, whether for purposes of production, transformation or consumption, and which he wishes to eliminate. This waste results from the extraction of raw materials, its transformation into intermediate materials and finished products, or from any other human activity. Residues recycled or reused in the place where they were produced are excluded from this category along with waste which is directly thrown back into the water or the air.