Paper Title
UNRAVELING THE NEXUS BETWEEN WATER DEMAND AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN MOROCCO: A TAPIO DECOUPLING INDEX ANALYSIS

Abstract
Abstract - Water is a critical resource for economic growth, but its increasing scarcity has led to the need for decoupling economic growth from water consumption. This is particularly true for countries like Morocco, which faces water resource management difficulties due to its arid and semi-arid climate. This research paper aims to analyze the decoupling relationship between water demand and economic growth in Morocco using the Tapio decoupling index. The results indicate that water is decoupled from economic growth only in the absence of drought, suggesting that Morocco lacks resilience to water stress. The findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive and resilient water management strategies to ensure long-term economic and environmental sustainability in Moroccoas adaptation alone may not be sufficient to address the chronic drought situation exacerbated by climate change vulnerability. Therefore, policymakers should prioritize strategies for building resilience. Keywords - Water Scarcity, Tapio Decoupling Index, Economic Growth, Resilience, Morocco.