Morocco Faces Record Drought as Water and Crop Supplies Plummet

Morocco is running dry. Rainfall is down by over 40 per cent compared to usual levels. Even worse, water reserves have plummeted to a staggering 75 per cent, while underground water levels are depleting fast.

Rabat – Morocco is running dry. Rainfall is down by over 40 per cent compared to usual levels. Even worse, water reserves have plummeted to a staggering 75 per cent, while underground water levels are depleting fast.

Rain has been alarmingly low this year. The national rainfall average ranged from just 31 mm to 627 mm, far below normal.

The Ministry of Equipment and Water shared data showing deficits in percentage points across all regions:

– Loukkos Basin: 7% drop, the smallest nationwide;

– Sebou Basin: Down 27%;

– Bouregreg and Chaouia Basins: A 41% deficit;

– Moulouya Basin: 48% drop;

– Oum Er-Rbia and Tensift Basins: Both down 44%;

– Souss-Massa Basin: 58% drop, causing serious concern;

– Drâa and Oued Noun Basin: The worst hit, with a 76% deficit.

Groundwater, which is often seen as a last resort during droughts, is falling fast too.

Several key aquifers have seen dramatic drops:

– Saïss: Down 5.8 meters;

– Gharb: Dropped 6.9 meters;

– Bousbaa: Fell 6.08 meters;

– Berrechid: Reduced by 5.91 meters;

– Souss: Down 3.72 meters.

Authorities are taking steps to protect and manage groundwater after they have signed deals for sustainable use in areas like Souss, Haouz-M’ghat, and Figuig. Plans to include more regions are underway.

These efforts aim to slow the overuse of aquifers and preserve this vital resource.

Meanwhile, Morocco is buying more wheat from Russia to alleviate the drought’s impact on the food supply.

The country imported 222,000 tons of Russian wheat in November, almost double the amount compared to last year.

Morocco’s own wheat harvest was hit hard, after it dipped 40 per cent to 2.47 million tons, the worst since 2007-2008. Barley has also dropped over 50 per cent.

Drought is the main issue. The year 2023 was Morocco’s driest year ever, with rainfall down by 50 per cent. Farmers planted seeds late, and many did not because of high energy and seed costs.

The country’s agricultural sector is struggling to cope.