Climate change costs Morocco more than $575M annually

World Bank estimates have revealed that climate change and natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and droughts cause Morocco to lose more than $575 million annually.

Although the Moroccan economy experienced a strong recovery in 2021, the situation changed in 2022 due to adverse shocks.

The start of the agricultural season in Morocco was unusually dry due to the lack of rain. The World Bank noted that the cereal harvest was very poor in 2022.

The UN agency stressed that “rapid urbanization and climate change herald an increase in the frequency and severity of weather-related phenomena.”

The World Bank revealed that “Morocco is among the countries most exposed to risks related to geological and climatic phenomena in the Middle East and North Africa.”

'Fickle' climate with tendency to drought

Speaking about extreme climate change in Morocco, AbdelhakimFilali, research professor at the Polydisciplinary Faculty of Khouribga, said that “climatic phenomena in Morocco, especially drought, have become the talk of everyone today. This led us as researchers to confirm some postulates that this phenomenon has become a familiar thing in the Moroccan climate and in the Mediterranean regions in particular.”

“The Mediterranean climate is fickle, and this fluctuation contributes to the widening of the dry areas, as the lack of rain and its irregularity are interrelated. There is no doubt that this is the case in the desert and coastal regions of Morocco,” he added.

Speaking to Jusoor Post, Filali explained that “the frequency of drought years in Morocco is one and a half times higher than rainy years. However, the recent years between 2009 and 2021 recorded extreme rainfall measurements that predict the entry of Morocco into a new climate.”

The environmental researcher also pointed out that “the analysis of the evolution of rainfall in Morocco proved that there is a general trend towards a decrease of about 1.5 mm annually. The national average of rainfall amounts decreased from about 700 mm at the beginning of the twentieth century to less than 500 mm at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and the rate of decline is estimated at 15.3%.”

“These data also indicate that the country's climate has become drier than it was at the beginning of the twentieth century,” Filali said.

For his part, Bader Al-Zaher Al-Azraq, a researcher in business law and economics, stressed that “Morocco's entry into the cycle of climate change, as is the case with the rest of the world, will have a significant impact on the percentage of drought cycles, which will become more frequent and intense.”

He pointed out that “Morocco is one of the countries seriously threatened by the problem of desertification, which will lead to a decline in the country's water resources.”

“On the other hand, sudden and irregular rainfall has also become a source of concern,” said Al-Azraq.

Speaking to Jusoor Post, the Moroccan expert explained that “this decrease in resources will lead to a decline in the agriculture and energy sectors, as they are highly dependent on water.”

“Despite Morocco's adoption of an effective policy in building dams since independence until today, its levy this year does not exceed 25%, which portends a catastrophe,” he said.

To confront this issue, Al-Azraq said, “Morocco took a number of steps years ago, including signing international agreements related to the environment and embracing COP22.”

“Morocco also seeks to turn to alternative energies and water desalination as a permanent solution to the problem of irrigation and the provision of drinking water, and a station was built in Agadir and another that will see the light in Nador, Casablanca, and other cities,” he added.

The Moroccan researcher called for “the need to go as quickly as possible to rationalizing water consumption, especially in agriculture and irrigation, and to use new methods such as drip irrigation and benefit from the experiences of countries that have made great strides in this field.”

International support

In the midst of Morocco’s quest to overcome the effects of natural disasters and climate change, the World Bank report revealed that the “Integrated Disaster Risk Management and Response Project” helped strengthen Morocco’s resilience in the face of disasters and climate change by strengthening efforts to prepare a national strategy for disaster risk management.

This international project also supported investments in structural measures to reduce risks to serve more than 174,000 beneficiaries and insure nearly 9 million people against bodily injury in environmental disasters.

A solidarity fund was also established to benefit about 6 million people belonging to the poorest and most needy groups in the country.

The World Bank recommended in its report that infrastructure development is a necessary but not sufficient condition to cope with water scarcity in Morocco. 

It pointed out that, historically, Morocco has relied on massive water storage and irrigation investments to cope with highly variable rainfall patterns. Such investments are more necessary than ever, but international experience suggests that to cope with water scarcity, “engineering solutions” need to be coupled by effective water demand management policies.