Natural disasters cost the country more than MAD 8 billion every year, representing 0.8% of its GDP, according to a new report by Morocco’s Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE). The CESE warns that the financial toll of these disasters is a growing concern for the nation’s economy.
The report says floods are the leading cause of economic loss, with annual damage estimated at MAD 4 billion.
Earthquakes also have a significant impact, contributing around MAD 900 million to the total losses. While drought has a heavy toll on Morocco’s agricultural sector, with crop losses reaching approximately MAD 3 billion each year.
In response to these growing risks, the CESE calls for a stronger disaster risk management approach.
The Council suggests that the country should leverage modern technology, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence (AI), to better predict potential disasters.
These tools would not only help in forecasting risks but also in alerting the public on how to stay safe before and during a disaster.
These tools could play a key role in coordinating rescue efforts and organizing rebuilding operations after an event.
The CESE also proposes the creation of a national legal framework for disaster management. This framework would define natural disasters, establish classification criteria, and set government guidelines for prevention, intervention, and recovery.
This legal framework would also clarify the roles and responsibilities of local authorities, public institutions, and civil society in managing disasters.
The report recommends updating existing laws related to urban planning, housing, and land use.
These laws should be revised to integrate disaster risk reduction measures, ensuring new construction is resilient to future events.
The CESE also recommends the establishment of a national disaster risk observatory which would be a central body to collect and update data on natural hazards and assess risks across different regions.
The report said that post-disaster studies are important to understand the causes of disasters and improve future responses.
The CESE called on the government to allocate more resources for training and equipping local authorities to handle emergencies.
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