Severe Drought Threatens Casablanca’s Water Supply, Minister Warns

The drought that Morocco is going through has consequences not only in the fields. The country’s main water reserves are suffering. This is the case in some cities like Marrakech, Nador, Berkane, but also Casablanca, revealed Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, during a meeting organized on Thursday, March 3, 2022 in Rabat, by the Press Club, in partnership with the Higher Institute of Information and Communication (ISIC), on the general theme of "The water challenge in Morocco".

According to the minister’s statements, the Al Massira dam located in the Oum Er Rbia basin has a filling rate of only 7%, with the fear of a disruption in the regular supply of drinking water. To address the most urgent needs, Nizar Baraka stressed that his ministry is considering the development of an emergency program that could allow the drinking water network in the north of Casablanca to be connected to the suffering one in the south. Also, the Bouregreg water basin will be tapped.

At the national level, Nizar Baraka mentioned a significant drop in the filling rates of dams over the last four years. From 62% in 2018, this rate fell to 49% in 2019, 37% in 2020 and 34% in 2021. It is currently 32.7%. The government plans to build 115 dams to fill the current deficit.