Water reserves in dams across Morocco’s Sebou basin have exceeded 4.8 billion cubic meters, marking a strong recovery in the region’s water resources, a senior water official said Saturday.
Bouchâaib Makrane, provincial delegate of the Sebou Hydraulic Basin Agency in Kenitra, said the current volume is approaching the basin’s total storage capacity of 6.5 billion cubic meters. The increase was driven by record inflows in recent weeks, which surpassed 2.6 billion cubic meters, he told the state-run Maghreb Arab Press.
The Sebou basin is one of Morocco’s most strategic water systems, spanning nearly 40,000 square kilometers. It includes 11 large dams, 51 small dams and hill lakes, and plays a vital role in irrigating agricultural and industrial activities that are key to the national economy.
Makrane said recent rainfall has lifted the basin out of years of water stress, describing the current season as “exceptional.” Rainfall levels have exceeded the annual average by 56%, he added.
In response to the sharp rise in water levels, the agency has begun managing the surplus through gradual and preventive water releases from the Al Wahda Dam. The measure aims to protect the dam’s infrastructure and ensure the safety of nearby populations and facilities, particularly as additional rainfall is forecast.
Makrane said precautionary measures have been taken to limit the impact of the releases on areas near riverbanks. These include relocating residents from at-risk rural communities to safer locations and reinforcing protective barriers at vulnerable points.
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