The Coca-Cola System Mobilises Regional Collaboration Through the “Unite Wetlands Guardians” Project to Strengthen Water Resilience in Morocco

CASABLANCA, Morocco--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Coca-Cola system in Morocco, comprising Coca-Cola and its authorised bottler, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) Morocco, announced the launch of the “Unite Wetlands Guardians” project under the Africa Water Stewardship Initiative in 2025. The project aims to restore wetlands, strengthen water resilience, and promote sustainable water resource management across the priority sub-basins of the Oum Er-Rbia Basin. Led by Living Planet Morocco (LPM) and coordinated by Global Water Challenge (GWC), the project has now fully entered its operational implementation phase.

Since its launch, the project has achieved several significant milestones. Working in close collaboration with the Oum Er-Rbia Hydraulic Basin Agency (ABH OER), LPM has established the project's governance mechanisms, conducted a series of technical field missions across priority intervention areas, initiated consultations with local stakeholders, and carried out the technical assessments required to identify future wetland restoration sites and opportunities to improve water-use efficiency. These initial achievements contribute to the project's three key objectives:

• Restore more than 1,200 hectares of wetlands to improve watershed health, enhance biodiversity, and strengthen regional water resilience.
• Improve irrigation efficiency in key agricultural areas to promote more sustainable water use.
• Empower more than 1,500 people from rural communities through capacity-building programmes, enabling them to better respond to the challenges of climate change.

The implementation of this important initiative is built on close collaboration between LPM, the ABH OER, local authorities, agricultural cooperatives, civil society organisations, universities, and technical and institutional organisations. This collaborative governance approach is one of the key pillars underpinning the success of the “Unite Wetlands Guardians” project.

Mrs Ithar Khair-Allah, Director of the Oum Er-Rbia Hydraulic Basin Agency, under Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water, further emphasized: "This initiative reflects our commitment to sustainable and collaborative water resource management within the Oum Er-Rbia Basin, a strategic territory facing significant water and ecological challenges. It also highlights the importance of protecting wetlands, which are essential to maintaining the balance of our ecosystems while strengthening the resilience of our territories to climate change. Achieving this ambition requires the mobilisation of all stakeholders - public institutions, the private sector, and citizens alike."

Participants gathered in Beni Mellal for an event marking the transition of the “Unite Wetlands Guardians” project into its operational implementation phase. The event provided an opportunity to present the progress achieved since the project's inception, strengthen the engagement of institutional, technical, economic, and community players, and share the roadmap for the next phase of wetland restoration, sustainable water management and capacity-building activities.

On this occasion, representatives of the collaborating organisations reaffirmed their shared commitment to protecting water resources and restoring wetlands, while highlighting the importance of collective action to strengthen the water resilience of the Oum Er-Rbia Basin.

“At ECCBC Morocco, we believe that protecting water resources requires long-term commitment and strong collaboration. Through the “Unite Wetlands Guardians” project, we are proud to support a collective effort that brings together public institutions, local communities, and technical experts to help strengthen water resilience, improve ecosystem health, and contribute to the sustainable development of the basin. Together, we are helping build a more water-secure future for generations to come," said Mr Farid Benchekroun, General Manager of Compagnie des Boissons Marocaines et Internationales.

Mr Charbel El-Beyrouthy, Coca-Cola's General Manager in Morocco, commented: "Water is at the heart of our business, our communities, and the ecosystems that sustain us. Our recent socio-economic impact assessment highlights the Coca-Cola system's contribution to Morocco, supporting more than 37,000 jobs and generating $724 million in economic value in 2024. These findings reinforce our commitment to investing in the long-term resilience of the communities we serve. Through the “Unite Wetlands Guardians” project, we are working collaboratively to restore critical wetlands, strengthen water resilience, and help protect one of Morocco's most important water resources."

“The “Unite Wetlands Guardians” project demonstrates that restoring wetlands is also an investment in people, biodiversity and water security. Through strong relationships with public institutions, local communities, and the private sector, we are translating science into concrete action on the ground to strengthen climate resilience, protect freshwater ecosystems and build a more sustainable future for the Oum Er-Rbia Basin," added Mrs Yousra Madani, President of Living Planet Morocco (LPM).