Morocco’s longstanding water shortage tightened further in 2025, as dam reserves dropped to nearly a third of capacity, rainfall fell well below historical averages and the government moved to prioritize drinking supplies over irrigation while accelerating costly desalination projects.
The Ministry of Equipment and Water reported that by Sept. 15, 2025, Morocco’s dams held about 5.56 billion cubic meters, or 33.2% of their total storage capacity.
That figure was down from 5.66 billion cubic meters (33.7%) just two weeks earlier, and a steep decline from 35.3% in early August. By comparison, dam reserves had reached close to 50% of capacity in April, before months of drought erased gains.
Regional disparities remain stark. In April, the Sebou basin recorded relatively healthy dam fill rates of about 52%, but by late summer nearly half of Morocco’s water basins had dropped below the critical 30% threshold.
Rainfall has been the driving factor. Through early June, Morocco had received about 302 millimeters of rain, 23% below the 30-year average, though about 14% more than the same period in 2024, according to agriculture ministry data.
In early 2025, cumulative rainfall was reported to be 53% lower than the long-term reference, raising fears of yet another drought season.
Agriculture under pressure
Agriculture accounts for 80 to 90 percent of Morocco’s total water withdrawals, making it both the biggest victim of scarcity and the largest lever for savings. Irrigation is heavily concentrated in key plains, where groundwater and dam releases sustain export crops and domestic food supplies.
But with dam levels low, the government has cut irrigation allocations in multiple perimeters to safeguard household water. International reporting cited by Reuters noted that Morocco’s livestock herd has shrunk by nearly 38% over the past decade as consecutive droughts destroyed pastures and raised fodder costs.
Government priorities
Water Minister Nizar Baraka said in 2025 that the government’s first priority was to secure potable supplies, even at the expense of agricultural output. “Priority has been, and will remain, to secure household water supplies,” Baraka said in a ministry briefing.
To bolster supply, Morocco has accelerated a multi-billion-dollar desalination program. Plants in Agadir and Laayoune are already online, with major facilities planned for Casablanca, Safi and other coastal cities. Reuters reported in June 2025 that Morocco aims to source much of its urban water from desalination by 2030, coupled with solar and wind power to reduce energy costs.
The government is also pursuing large water-transfer projects, including pipelines to move water from surplus to deficit basins, though critics warn of high fiscal and ecological costs.
Public perception
Hespress surveys in 2025 indicate that 72% of Moroccan consumers recognize water scarcity as an urgent national crisis, and 60% say they have already taken steps such as reducing usage and adopting conservation habits.
Still, localized hardship remains visible. Repeated water cuts in rural areas have dominated headlines this summer season, contamination of wells in some plains, and mounting frustration in provinces where reservoirs are nearly empty.
Long-term risks
Morocco’s conventional renewable water resources are estimated at about 21–22 billion cubic meters annually, according to government figures and hydrology experts.
With a population exceeding 37 million, that translates to less than 600 cubic meters per person per year, well below the international water scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic meters.
Analysts warn that infrastructure alone cannot close the gap. A June 2025 report by the Moroccan Institute for Strategic Studies (IMIS) concluded that “over-exploitation of aquifers, uneven geographic distribution and climate variability” are driving the country into chronic scarcity.
The World Bank has called on Morocco to combine infrastructure investments with stronger demand management, including shifting away from water-intensive crops, scaling up efficient irrigation and strengthening groundwater governance.
Outlook
By late summer 2025, dam reserves had declined by 12% in just two months. With the agricultural calendar moving into another planting season, the government faces mounting pressure to balance urban, industrial and farm needs.
For now, Morocco is betting on desalination and efficiency programs to protect households, while agriculture absorbs the brunt of restrictions. Whether those efforts will be enough depends on the rains in coming seasons, the pace of infrastructure delivery and how quickly farmers adapt to a new era of scarcity.
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