Following the drought of 2021-2022, one of the worst in Morocco's history, the dam reserve rate was at 25% on September 1, 2022 (compared to 40% on the same date in 2021 and 49% in 2020). This figure is all the more alarming because these dams constitute, by far, the country's primary drinking water and irrigation reserve.

For regular monitoring of the situation of dams in Morocco, see our article on the evolution of the dam filling rate.

 

Like the dams, natural reserves (groundwater and surface water bodies) are also drying up at a rapid pace. Climate change could worsen the situation by reducing Morocco's water resources by 30% within the next 25 years.

30% ! So Morocco, a country soon without water?

Resources already heavily overexploited and poorly managed

Urban water consumption is undeniably part of the problem. Poor individual habits, overconsumption in upscale neighborhoods, the tourism sector, and golf courses are all examples of water overuse and mismanagement.

Yet domestic, urban, or industrial uses account for only 15% of Morocco's water consumption. The agricultural sector, on the other hand, accounts for 85% of water consumption in Morocco.

And agriculture does not irrigate solely with annual waters stored in dams or through sustainable use of groundwater like the traditional khettara system.

Irrigated perimeters are also (and increasingly) supplied by groundwater. Approximately 42% of the country's irrigated land is supplied through groundwater via wells, mostly authorized by the competent authorities: the Hydraulic Basin Agencies.

Often exploited beyond their recharge capacity, groundwater aquifers are doomed to depletion. Thus, Morocco overexploits 1 billion m3 of its groundwater annually, a situation that is difficult to remedy in the short term.

In Berrechid, the Souss region, and Zagora, aquifers are already on the verge of depletion. The thirst demonstrations in Zagora, particularly due to overconsumption of water for watermelon field irrigation, have been especially striking.

In spite of the implementation of an ambitious water policy in 1995, with a "demand management" component funded with 30 billion dirhams, demand management has mainly consisted of promoting water-efficient technologies (drip irrigation) rather than effective control of withdrawals.

This drip irrigation, whose effectiveness is being questioned in the Moroccan context, has been accompanied by irrigation of more surface area and/or more frequent irrigation of each surface. Counter-intuitive result: instead of saving 1 billion m3, we are overconsuming it. This is what is called the rebound effect.

Optimization techniques such as drip irrigation are only effective if, and only if, they are accompanied by demand regulation policies.

In the Saïss plain for example, the number of wells and boreholes has been multiplied by more than 13 in 35 years, rising from 900 to 12,000 wells between 1980 and 2015, with overexploitation reaching 100 million m3.

Illustration of the effects of agricultural intensification on the Moroccan landscape. Inspired by the results of the grarian diagnosis of the Saïss plain.

A very dry horizon in 2040

Following the drought of 2021-2022, one of the worst in Morocco's history, the dam reserve rate was at 25% on September 1, 2022 (compared to 40% on the same date in 2021 and 49% in 2020). This figure is all the more alarming because these dams constitute, by far, the country's primary drinking water and irrigation reserve.

For regular monitoring of the situation of dams in Morocco, see our article on the evolution of the dam filling rate.

 

Like the dams, natural reserves (groundwater and surface water bodies) are also drying up at a rapid pace. Climate change could worsen the situation by reducing Morocco's water resources by 30% within the next 25 years.

30% ! So Morocco, a country soon without water?

Resources already heavily overexploited and poorly managed

Urban water consumption is undeniably part of the problem. Poor individual habits, overconsumption in upscale neighborhoods, the tourism sector, and golf courses are all examples of water overuse and mismanagement.

Yet domestic, urban, or industrial uses account for only 15% of Morocco's water consumption. The agricultural sector, on the other hand, accounts for 85% of water consumption in Morocco.

And agriculture does not irrigate solely with annual waters stored in dams or through sustainable use of groundwater like the traditional khettara system.

Irrigated perimeters are also (and increasingly) supplied by groundwater. Approximately 42% of the country's irrigated land is supplied through groundwater via wells, mostly authorized by the competent authorities: the Hydraulic Basin Agencies.

Often exploited beyond their recharge capacity, groundwater aquifers are doomed to depletion. Thus, Morocco overexploits 1 billion m3 of its groundwater annually, a situation that is difficult to remedy in the short term.

In Berrechid, the Souss region, and Zagora, aquifers are already on the verge of depletion. The thirst demonstrations in Zagora, particularly due to overconsumption of water for watermelon field irrigation, have been especially striking.

In spite of the implementation of an ambitious water policy in 1995, with a "demand management" component funded with 30 billion dirhams, demand management has mainly consisted of promoting water-efficient technologies (drip irrigation) rather than effective control of withdrawals.

This drip irrigation, whose effectiveness is being questioned in the Moroccan context, has been accompanied by irrigation of more surface area and/or more frequent irrigation of each surface. Counter-intuitive result: instead of saving 1 billion m3, we are overconsuming it. This is what is called the rebound effect.

Optimization techniques such as drip irrigation are only effective if, and only if, they are accompanied by demand regulation policies.

In the Saïss plain for example, the number of wells and boreholes has been multiplied by more than 13 in 35 years, rising from 900 to 12,000 wells between 1980 and 2015, with overexploitation reaching 100 million m3.

Illustration of the effects of agricultural intensification on the Moroccan landscape. Inspired by the results of the grarian diagnosis of the Saïss plain.

A very dry horizon in 2040