Morocco’s dam reserves are approaching 47% of total capacity, signalling a sharp recovery in the country’s strategic water stocks after seven consecutive years of drought, according to official data from the Ministry of Equipment and Water.
Figures published on Friday by the water research and planning directorate show the national dam filling rate stood at 46.58% on 16 January, up from 28.16% on the same date last year.
Total stored volumes reached 7.81 billion cubic metres, with officials expecting levels to approach or exceed 50% by late January or early February if current inflows continue.
Nearly 40% of stored water is concentrated in the Sebou basin, Morocco’s largest, which supplies major agricultural areas in the Gharb and Saiss plains. The basin’s filling rate rose to 55.60%, compared with 36.96% a year earlier.
Several basins recorded particularly strong recoveries. The Bouregreg basin reached 95.10%, with the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam nearing full capacity at 99.43%. The Tensift basin stood at 72.76%, while Loukkos reached 63.04%.
The Oum Er-Rbia basin, despite remaining relatively low at 21.41%, showed marked improvement from 5.31% a year ago, easing pressure on one of the country’s most water-stressed regions.
Officials and hydrology specialists attribute the rebound to sustained rainfall and snowfall since December, particularly in the Middle Atlas, the main recharge area for the Sebou basin.
Continued precipitation is expected to further reinforce agricultural prospects in the Gharb and Saiss plains and support inter-basin water transfers to deficit areas.
Speaking in parliament earlier this month,Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, said recent rainfall in December and January had “officially ended seven years of acute drought,” improving prospects for irrigation and securing drinking water supplies in major urban centres, especially along the Rabat–Casablanca coastal corridor.
The recovery marks a significant shift in Morocco’s water balance, though authorities continue to stress the need for cautious management amid climate variability.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.