Moroccan Water Reserves for Irrigation Fall by 80% As Scarcity Continues

Rabat – Morocco’s water reserves for irrigation have dropped by 80% from 6 billion cubic meters to only 1 billion in 2022.

The Moroccan government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas explained during his weekly press conference on Thursday that the drop is because of harsh climatic conditions, as Morocco has been suffering from record droughts and heatwaves.

The comment came in response to questions about reduced agricultural output, reiterating concerns about the water scarcity crisis that have been expressed by government officials and industry workers before.

Speaking at the MAP Forum earlier this year, Minister of Agriculture Mohamed Sadiki said the situation has led to the stopping of irrigation in several regions, as water resources continue to be in low supply.

Morocco suffered from the worst drought in several decades last year, causing the country’s agricultural output to drop considerably.

In response to the low rainfalls, the country’s government has had to resort to extreme measures such as rationing tap water in certain regions earlier this year.

The country has also started investing in more projects to secure water supplies such as seawater desalination, especially as the effects of climate change do not seem to be letting up in the future.

Many have also called for smarter use of water especially at a large scale, with some experts specifically calling for more efficient irrigation methods.

The country unveiled a program in late 2022 to optimize irrigation grids, find out water needs for each type of crops, and ration water supplies without compromising agricultural yields.

As Morocco is a top global exporter of various types of crops, agriculture is one of the country’s most important sectors.

The decline in water supplies has led the country to cut subsidies for some water-intensive plants like avocados and watermelon, despite them being important to Morocco’s agricultural exports.