Heavy rains have brought much-needed relief to Morocco's drought-stricken dams.
Morocco World News reported that the Ministry of Equipment and Water shared promising information on its online platform, Lma Dyalana (which means "Our Water"). Several key reservoirs saw increases in water storage in just 24 hours.
While Al Massira, one of Morocco's largest dams, was only 2.92% full despite the rainfall, the Bin El Ouidane dam in Azilal rose to about 11.6% filled. The Hassan Dakhil dam, on the other hand, rose to 58.2%.
Overall, dam storage rose about 5.6 billion cubic meters and brought the national filling rate to about 33.4%, per Morocco World News.
Rainfall in Morocco is especially important because the country has endured seven straight years of drought. Low reservoir levels have harmed agriculture, livestock, and water supply to homes.
According to a July study in Scientific Reports, water storage at Al Massira fell to below 3% of its capacity in 2023. Years of below-average rainfall and rising agricultural demand under the Green Morocco Plan drove its decline
But Morocco is already moving forward with plans to increase water storage. Large desalination projects are underway, which include a facility in Casablanca that will likely provide almost 300 million cubic meters of water yearly once completed in 2028.
The government has also restricted the cultivation of water-intensive crops like melons in places such as Tata and Zagora to conserve supplies.
These policies allow Morocco to shift away from relying solely on rainfall and reservoirs, which have proven to be vulnerable to extreme weather events. By combining short-term relief from storms with long-term infrastructure upgrades, access to water for households and farms can be stabilized.
More water in dams means fewer interruptions in the drinking water supply in many areas and even better pasture for livestock. Though more water is needed and rainfall is a temporary relief, better infrastructure can help create a more stable water supply in the future.
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