Heavy rain boosts Morocco's dams amid ongoing water crisis

Tuesday 25 March 2025 - 12:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Heavy rain boosts Morocco's dams amid ongoing water crisis

Recent heavy rainfall has provided a significant reprieve for Morocco's water reservoirs, notably the Oued El Makhazine dam, which has reached full capacity. This achievement brings the total number of fully filled dams under the Loukkos Hydraulic Basin Agency (ABHL) to four, as reported by the Directorate of Hydraulic Engineering at the Ministry of Equipment and Water.

Current water reserves in the key dams of the region exceed 1.17 billion cubic meters, with an average filling rate of 61.38%. Oued El Makhazine, the largest dam in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, boasts a capacity of 672.86 million cubic meters. Other important dams include Charif Al Idrissi at 121.65 million cubic meters, Chefchaouen at 12.24 million, and Nakhla at 4.21 million.

Despite some dams exceeding the halfway mark, several are still below full capacity. The Tanger-Méditerranée dam stands at 69.33%, Smir at 77.74%, Kharroub at 54.91%, and Moulay El Hassan Ben El Mehdi at 51.31%. Conversely, others like Ibn Battouta (48.53%), Mohamed Ben Abdelkrim Al Khattabi (35.37%), and Joumoua (24.82%) remain significantly low.

This recent rainfall has been a much-needed boost amid a prolonged water crisis, which has gripped Morocco for the past six years. The drought has severely strained water supplies, leading to concerns about long-term sustainability. Notably, this year's Eid Al-Adha celebrations were impacted, as the traditional sacrifice was canceled due to water shortages.

In response to dwindling water resources, Morocco has temporarily turned to desalination, establishing new facilities along its coast to reduce reliance on rainfall. However, the importance of natural water sources cannot be overstated. The recent downpours offer hope to farmers and communities, yet the question looms: will these rains be sufficient to counteract years of water scarcity, or must Morocco intensify its search for sustainable water management solutions?