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Rabat – While there are no official numbers on the state of climate migration – people displaced because of unfavorable weather conditions – research conducted in certain regions in Morocco indicates that climate change is increasingly causing people to internally migrate.
Tafilalt, the largest Oasis in Morocco, saw a decrease of about 5,000 people in the span of a decade while Morocco’s population increased by 13% in the same period.
An investigation by environmental journalist Khalid Bencherif reveals that the decrease in population is due to the intensive drought that had caused water scarcity, and rivers to dry up completely.
The investigation focuses on the population of two villages that completely abandoned their home because they could no longer make ends meet.
Morocco’s rural populations are entirely climate-dependent, making them acutely vulnerable to climate change. National estimates also indicate that intense and more frequent drought is likely the major cause of internal migration.
Some estimates suggest that climate-induced migration has the potential of increasing vulnerability in major cities given that urban migration correlates with the creation of slums in cities like Rabat and Casablanca.
But research also indicates that climate change will impact Morocco’s rural population. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 80% of Morocco’s population, currently on coastal grounds, will be affected by 0.1 m rising sea levels by 2030, 0.17 m by 2050, and potentially higher sea levels over the upcoming 50 years.
Morocco’s coastal sand mining operations further aggravate the situation, threatening cities like Casablanca with direct erosion due to rising sea levels.
Drought and water scarcity are ranked number one on the list of natural disasters impacting Morocco’s population, according to the World Bank.
And with a hotter future already locked, this trend shows no sign of slowing down. Morocco’s figures miror a dire global trend, with 200 million people at risk being displaced worldwide because of climate change.
