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The World Bank has approved a USD 250 mn program to boost Morocco’s municipal solid waste management, according to a press release. The initiative aims to improve the financial and environmental performance of Morocco’s waste management system by supporting key reforms and investments. News of the financing package emerged earlier this month.
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Where is the money going? The package will go into projects upgrading existing landfills, expanding waste recycling, composting and recovery through sustainable business models, and addressing the environmental and health risks posed by abandoned landfills. It will also support the exploration of new revenue streams for the waste sector and contribute to global climate action by enhancing the sector’s ability to track and reduce its emissions.
Support is piling in for the kingdom: The International Monetary Fund approved a USD 415 mn disbursement to support Morocco’s transition to a greener economy earlier this month. The financing comes as a part of a USD 1.3 bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) agreement signed last year, bringing the total released USD 747 mn for Morocco. The RSF arrangement follows a separate USD 5 bn Flexible Credit Line arrangement approved (pdf) in April 2023 in response to slowed growth and raised inflation due to severe drought and spillovers from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
And Morocco is lining up projects: Earlier this month, the country secured two contracts with the French company Suez to invest in waste management facilities. As part of a consortium with Morocco’s Somagec, and Jet Contractors, Suez will construct and operate the Oum Azza waste treatment and recovery center in the Rabat region, planned to treat around 53% of the annual 850k tons of waste it receives and focus on producing biogas. The company was also awarded a USD 120 mn contract for the waste treatment and recovery plant in Kenitra. The 20-year contract included building a factory that will also focus on biogas production. Last year, Morocco signed a deal with Portugal to set up a “green” MAD 1 bn (c. USD 100 mn) textile recycling project partially powered by renewables.
Making strides in the sector: The country has significantly improved its waste collection coverage in urban areas from 40% in 2008 to 96% in 2022, the World Bank statement said. Waste treatment rates also saw a boost, increasing from 10% in 2008 to 63% this year, Morocco World News reported. The country has also closed 44 unauthorized dumpsites and rehabilitated 67 more in the last few years.
But challenges remain: The country is planning now to address type-specific and “region-specific” waste management challenges. For example, medical waste — totaling over 22k tons in 2021 — remains an environmental and health risk in some areas, whereas some areas suffer from excessive organic waste that accounts for up to 70% of total waste in some regions.
