Citizen Engagement in Water Snapshots: Morocco. Oum Er Rbia Sanitation Project

The objective of the Oum er Rbia Sanitation Project was to increase access to sanitation services and reduce wastewater-related pollution in selected small and medium towns in Morocco’s Our er Rbia river basin. Approved in 2010 and implemented by the Office National de l’Eau Potable et del’Electricité (ONEE) – the national water utility, the project aimed to finance wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in 13 rural and urban agglomerations of 7,000 to 200,000 people. The political context showed signs of openness towards participatory and inclusive approaches to engage with the population. For example, in 2005, the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), launched by the King of Morocco, systematized local participatory development. In 2011, in response to the Arab Spring events, the Constitution stipulated access to information, consultation with, and participation of the population as requirements in the development and monitoring of public policies.