Morocco is facing an unprecedented water crisis, marked by a series of devastating consequences caused by drought and lack of rainfall. The Ministry of Equipment and Water recently revealed five major impacts that are seriously affecting the country’s water resources, particularly affecting the ten national river basins.
One of the most alarming revelations concerns the steep fall in the volume of surface water, from 18 billion cubic metres in 2023 to less than 4 billion today.
In a press release published on its information platform ” MAA DIALNA“, the ministry stressed that the persistent drought, aggravated by climate change, has dramatic repercussions on agriculture, animal resources, the economy, and more broadly on the whole of Moroccan society.
Among the most pressing concerns is the depletion of groundwater. The scarcity of rainfall in some parts of the country has significantly reduced the renewal of groundwater, compromising its sustainability. According to the ministry, some aquifers are registering an annual decline of 4 meters, an alarming figure that has prompted the government to adopt rigorous measures to preserve these vital resources.
The ministry also highlighted the drastic decline in surface water, with a clear warning: rivers and lakes are at risk of drying up partially or completely during prolonged periods of drought, reducing access to fresh water for various uses. In just six years, the volume of surface water in Morocco has dropped dramatically, from over 15 billion cubic meters to just 4.87 billion today.
The impact on agriculture and livestock resources is equally worrying. Water shortages are jeopardizing crops and livestock, forcing Morocco to adopt emergency measures for the current agricultural campaign. These include reducing cultivated areas, localized irrigation, and building hill dams to supply water to livestock.
Water quality is also at stake. With falling water levels, rivers and lakes are at risk of environmental degradation, marked by an increase in the concentration of pollutants and a decrease in biodiversity. The platform ” MAA DIALNA“, who closely follows water news in Morocco, stressed that this deterioration is one of the many consequences of the current crisis.
Beyond the environmental impacts, water scarcity also threatens to deteriorate the socio-economic conditions of the country, which relies heavily on its water resources for agriculture, industry, and tourism. To counter these challenges, Morocco has launched a series of measures to manage its water resources more efficiently. These initiatives include the construction of new dams, the interconnection of river basins, the rational management of groundwater, and the preservation of water tables.
At the same time, the government is focusing on mobilizing water resources and promoting water saving, particularly in the irrigation sector. The development of non-conventional water resources, such as seawater desalination and the reuse of treated wastewater, is also expanding to address this crisis.
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