Building Urban Water Resilience With Circularity
By fostering a collaborative and informed environment, the Morocco UCWRI envisions the creation of a feedback loop in which learning, dialogue and action reinforce each other to achieve sustainable urban water resilience.



Years active:
2024 - 2026
Related ICLEI Pathway(s)
Locations
Funded by

About
Project summary
By applying circular economy principles, the Morocco UCWRI helps cities align urban planning and water management for greater water resilience.
Morocco Urban Circular Water Resilience Initiative (Morocco UCWRI):
Amidst pressures of rapid population growth and decreased rainfall in a changing climate, the Kingdom of Morocco’s urban areas face various challenges to water resilience. These span scarce supply, non-revenue losses, insufficient infrastructure investment, flooding and ecosystem degradation — exacerbated by institutional and disciplinary fragmentation As part of the Circular Economy in Urban Water Management Systems project, supported by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the Morocco UCWRI assists urban areas in developing a multi-stakeholder approach to building greater water resilience through circular economy principles and greater alignment between the spatial planning and water sectors.
This overarching objective is supported by three main areas of work:
- capacity-building and awareness-raising among government officials, the private sector and civil society;
- peer-to-peer learning and engagement between Moroccan and other Mediterranean cities; and
- establishing a multi-stakeholder action platform for the identification of potential pilot projects.
By applying circular economy principles, the Morocco UCWRI helps cities align urban planning and water management for greater water resilience.
Morocco Urban Circular Water Resilience Initiative (Morocco UCWRI):
Amidst pressures of rapid population growth and decreased rainfall in a changing climate, the Kingdom of Morocco’s urban areas face various challenges to water resilience. These span scarce supply, non-revenue losses, insufficient infrastructure investment, flooding and ecosystem degradation — exacerbated by institutional and disciplinary fragmentation As part of the Circular Economy in Urban Water Management Systems project, supported by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the Morocco UCWRI assists urban areas in developing a multi-stakeholder approach to building greater water resilience through circular economy principles and greater alignment between the spatial planning and water sectors.
This overarching objective is supported by three main areas of work:
- capacity-building and awareness-raising among government officials, the private sector and civil society;
- peer-to-peer learning and engagement between Moroccan and other Mediterranean cities; and
- establishing a multi-stakeholder action platform for the identification of potential pilot projects.
By fostering a collaborative and informed environment, the Morocco UCWRI envisions the creation of a feedback loop in which learning, dialogue and action reinforce each other to achieve sustainable urban water resilience.
The project team
Building Urban Water Resilience With Circularity team

Moez Allaoui
Senior Professional Officer: Water Systems
Moez has over 30 years of experience as a water expert, both nationally and internationally. Prior to joining ICLEI, he was central director at the Tunisian drinking water utility (SONEDE). He has also worked as Senior Manager at Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and Senior Legal Advisor at WaterLex, a Swiss NGO, and he wasvisiting lecturer at the University of Geneva. Moez holds a Master’s degree in Legal Studies, as well as an LLM in International Economic and Development Law from the University Paris 5. In 2022, he was elected as governor alternate at the World Water Council’s board of governors and he has been member of the scientific and technical committee of the Mediterranean Water Institute for several years. He contributed as a co-author or a reviewer to numerous books, studies and articles on the human right to water and on water governance.

Anton Earle
Global Coordinator: Water Systems
Anton holds a Masters’ degree in Environment and Development from the University of London (SOAS). He has led teams in water management and development internationally, facilitating interaction between governments, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders aimed at risk-reduction for investment in climate-resilient development. Anton’s significant experience extends to Africa, the Middle-East and East Asia. In his position at ICLEI, he is leading the development of a vision for ICLEI’s water programme globally, supporting local and subnational governments to secure sustainable and equitable access to water, while ensuring that healthy ecosystems continue providing their vital water quality, water storage, and flood attenuation services.

Ayman Aribou
Professional Officer: Sustainable Energy Action & Political Liaison

Luka Dreyer
Intern: Urban Systems
Luka holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental and Geographical Science and Master of City and Regional Planning Degree from the University of Cape Town, with a research focus on the relationship between the Kuils River Corridor and surrounding urban fabric. He seeks to apply his multidisciplinary background, experience in public policy, analytical approach and passion for communication to systemically and sustainably integrate socio-ecological systems for greater equity and resilience.
