Since the beginning of December 2025, near-daily rainfall across several regions of Morocco appears to be breaking the worrying cycle of seven long years of historic drought. While reservoir fill rates still show disparities between northern and southern basins, the positive impact is expected to continue in the coming months. DR ‹ › In Morocco, each winter day in December 2025 brings its share of rain or snowfall. While this phenomenon may seem natural for the season, it is exceptional in light of the historic drought the country has endured over the past seven years, which has had a deeply alarming impact on natural water reserves. This cycle now appears to have been broken, as reflected in the improvement of water resources and forest cover, according to Fouad Amraoui, a professor and researcher in hydrology at Hassan II University in Casablanca, speaking to Yabiladi. The specialist's observations confirm the effects of the rainfall recorded over the past 24 hours across several regions. According to updated data from the Ministry of Equipment and Water, the El Wahda dam in the province of Taounate registered the largest increase in its fill level, gaining 23 million cubic meters (45.9%). The Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah dam in the Rabat–Salé–Kénitra region follows, with an increase of 20.2 million cubic meters over the same period, bringing its fill rate to 86.9%. Also in Taounate, the Idris I dam recorded an increase of 12.2 million cubic meters (37.6%). In the province of Beni Mellal, the Ahmed El Hansali dam rose by 9.8 million cubic meters in the last 24 hours, reaching a fill rate of 19.8%. In Azilal, Bin El Ouidane, severely impacted by drought, saw its water reserves increase by 4.5 million cubic meters. Its fill rate now stands at just 14.7%, reflecting the consequences of a prolonged lack of precipitation in the region. In the Oriental region, the Mohammed V dam recorded an increase of 4.3 million cubic meters, raising its fill rate to 29%. Commenting on this data to our editorial team, Professor Fouad Amraoui believes it clearly confirms the positive impact of recent rainfall on water reserves and hydric resources, both in dams and groundwater levels. «The precipitation Morocco is experiencing this December reminds us of the winters of the 1960s and 1970s. It is therefore exceptional, following seven years of drought. These rains have allowed us to accumulate an input of one billion cubic meters across all dams, representing nearly 60% of our annual drinking water needs for all cities.» Positive signs will also be seen in 2026 In other words, according to the researcher, these precipitations «came at the right time to replenish our dam reserves, recharge groundwater, and benefit agriculture and forests, with even an impact on the national economy». According to Fouad Amraoui, «the indicators are green, and hopes are pinned on continued precipitation in the coming months, as all months remain potentially rainy until June». The researcher's outlook remains positive, particularly as the upcoming warmer months will allow the recovery of snowmelt water, which has also been abundant in the highlands. «Indeed, we currently have a very significant snow cover, which could melt abundantly from March–April, representing an additional reserve for dams and water basins», he tells us. However, the professor tempers the long-term optimism surrounding these rains, given the severity of previous drought years, noting that the water deficit to be offset remains substantial. «On a national average, our dam fill rate stands at around 35%, corresponding to approximately 6 billion cubic meters of reserves. This volume is not evenly distributed across regions. As a result, northern basins consistently show better figures than those in the center and south, where the situation remains difficult. To meet all our needs—drinking water, agriculture, and other human activities—higher levels are required, alongside improved distribution.» Calling for caution, the professor points out that the country's second- and third-largest dams, Bin El Ouidane in the Oum Rbiî basin and Al Massira, currently show fill rates of around 20% and 7%, respectively. «For the situation to truly improve, further precipitation remains vital», he says. He adds that, under such conditions, the «water highways» could enable better distribution and help bridge regional deficits. «This inter-basin water transfer has been planned since 2009, with the National Water Strategy identifying it as a key pathway for the future», he explains. Alternatives are mandatory, not optional Looking ahead to future scenarios for Morocco, Fouad Amraoui notes that water needs will continue to rise, while resources are expected to decline as a result of climate change. «This deficit was therefore anticipated, and among the alternatives, transfers between northern and southern basins, as well as seawater desalination, were part of the response», he explains. Detailing Morocco's approach to managing water stress, the professor stresses that «with the recurrence of drought years, there was no longer a choice between these solutions, but an obligation to activate both simultaneously». «It is in this context that the first major transfer between Sebou and Bouregreg was carried out, securing drinking water supply along the Rabat–Casablanca axis and preventing cuts in these densely populated regions. This is a very important project, both in our current context and for the future,» he emphasizes. The researcher recalls that these transfers will continue towards the Oum Rbiî basin, just as they have already been implemented between Oued El Makhazin (Larache) and Tangier. Ultimately, combining these solutions can sustainably address water stress and drought in Morocco, given that they have now become the norm rather than the exceptional management of a temporary deficit. «In the past, water planning and distribution were designed over 30- to 40-year cycles. But the last seven years of severe drought have shown the need to treat this situation as the norm, with rainy years becoming the exception. As a result, a mix of solutions has been developed: continuing to build dams to strengthen storage capacity, alongside deploying desalination for all coastal cities—not only for drinking water, but also for irrigation», the researcher explains. This approach «reverses the long-standing trend of supplying coastal cities with water from the interior of the country», Fouad Amraoui notes, adding that cities such as Marrakech «will be partially supplied through desalination, as will other inland provinces, in order to relieve pressure on their natural resources». In other words, the professor insists that during rainy periods, «we must not let our guard down, but rather recognize that we live in a semi-arid country and remain constantly exposed to the risk of consecutive dry months». «Vigilance remains essential—for the economy, for the rational use of water, and for preventing pollution of our water resources, with the quantitative dimension going hand in hand with the qualitative», concludes Fouad Amraoui.
