Water levels in Morocco’s dams have continued a sharp downward trend since June, raising renewed concerns over water stress and storage shortages across the country’s key reservoirs, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Equipment and Water.
The ministry’s updated figures show that as of August 6, the country’s dams collectively hold 5.89 billion cubic meters of water, down from 5.93 billion cubic meters recorded just three days earlier. The total national storage capacity stands at 16.76 billion cubic meters, placing the current overall fill rate at 35.19%.
While this figure marks an improvement from the 28.42% recorded on the same day last year, the ministry warned that the pace of decline has accelerated significantly over the past two months.
An analysis of national water data indicates that surface water levels and reservoir fill rates remain higher than those seen during the same period in 2024.
However, experts in water management and ecology have cautioned that Morocco must move beyond temporary fixes and adopt long-term, proactive strategies to manage water resources more effectively.
Despite ongoing benefits from this year’s spring rainfall in the northern half of the country, rising demand for both drinking water and irrigation continues to put pressure on the available supply.
In particular, the Oum Er-Rbia basin remains in critical condition. The Al Massira Dam, one of Morocco’s largest, is currently filled to just 4% of its capacity. The Bin El Ouidane Dam is only slightly better, with a 16% fill rate.
Other basins in northern Morocco are performing relatively better, with fill levels hovering around or slightly above 50%. The Bouregreg basin, bolstered by last summer’s inter-basin water transfer projects, leads the nation at 63% capacity, followed by the Loukkos basin at 53.76% and Ziz-Ghris basin at 50.45%. The Tensift basin remains at approximately 44%.
Officials expect further decline in national water reserves due to continued high summer temperatures, with “Smaïm” heatwaves pushing mercury levels to nearly 45°C (113°F) across inland and southeastern regions.
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