Morocco invests millions to fight drought

Morocco has invested over $700 million in a major water diversion project aimed at alleviating drought in its most densely populated cities.

According to The New Arab on March 30th, the initiative channels excess flow from the Sebou River in the north to supply drinking water to Rabat and Casablanca – home to around 12 million people.

Officials say the project has already delivered over 700 million cubic meters of water since its inauguration in August 2023.

A diversion dam built in Kenitra holds back the Sebou’s flow before it reaches the Atlantic, with water treated and pumped through a 67 km underground canal to the cities.

The initiative is seen as being a success in the short term, with senior agriculture official Mahjoub Lahrache crediting it with preventing another major water crisis.

However, analysts are raising concerns about its long-term viability in the face of climate change.

Morocco has been hit by six consecutive years of drought, reducing its annual water supply from 18 billion cubic meters in the 1980s to just five billion today.

Rainfall remains around 75% lower than historical averages, and 2023 saw a 1.8°C rise in national temperatures, accelerating evaporation and drying reservoirs.

Last year saw droughts devastate farmers livelihoods across the country, as reported by Maghrebi on July 14th 2024.

The north has benefitted from surplus water, but researchers now warn those resources may soon vanish.

“Future scenarios indicate that northern water basins will be significantly more affected by climate change than those in the south over the next 60 years,” said climate expert Nabil El Mocayd.

With agriculture accounting for a third of the workforce and placing huge demand on water for irrigation, experts urge investment in more sustainable solutions.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that livestock numbers had been depleted by 38% since 2016 due to six consecutive years of drought.

Researcher Abderrahim Handouf praised the water highway as a temporary fix but called for urgent expansion of desalination plants and water-saving technologies for farmers.

“We must remain cautious,” he warned, “and plan for a future where water is far less predictable.”

The New Arab, Maghrebi