In Bouknadel, anger is rising. More than 400 families have signed a petition to denounce the rushed and opaque launch of construction for a seawater desalination plant, located just a stone’s throw from their residential neighborhood. Situated in the province of Salé, the targeted area includes the Prestigia complex, known for its tranquility and quality of life, which are now threatened by this large-scale project.
A construction site launched without consultation
It is the manner, more than the substance, that provokes indignation. According to residents, the work began without any consultation or official information being disseminated. No public environmental impact study, no hearings for local residents, not even a construction sign clearly displaying the characteristics of the operation. For the inhabitants, this lack of transparency is seen as a form of institutional contempt.
In the petition addressed to the governor of the province, the signatories demand either the immediate suspension of the work or the opening of a serious dialogue with all concerned parties, including neighborhood representatives, local authorities, and project proponents.
An incoherent location
Beyond procedural flaws, it is the very choice of location that raises questions. Schools, parks, sports facilities: the area hosts a dense urban fabric built for high-end residential use. “Building a desalination plant in this location is a serious urban planning mistake,” says a resident. Noise pollution, heavy truck traffic, and vibrations from the construction raise fears of a rapid deterioration in the quality of life.
An ignored environmental alert?
The project also raises ecological concerns. Several local associations are sounding the alarm: poorly regulated desalination plants can lead to the discharge of highly saline brine into soils and groundwater, thus threatening the fragile coastal balances. “Without a rigorous control system, the consequences for the coastal ecosystem could be irreversible,” warns one of the environmental activists.
Sustainable development… but at what cost?
The use of seawater desalination is part of the national strategy to secure water resources in the face of increasing water stress. But for the residents of Bouknadel, the urgency of climate transition should not serve as an excuse for decisions made without consultation or environmental guarantees. The situation is made worse by the fact that the project seems to be imposed without a clear governance framework, in a top-down approach that is poorly compatible with modern standards of sustainable development.
This standoff between residents and local authorities could well become a real test for participatory management of future hydraulic projects. Morocco, in search of innovative solutions to address the water crisis, must ensure it does not create new environmental and social fractures in its march toward resilience.
With Al Akhbar
