Casablanca – Morocco’s water reserves have recorded a substantial recovery in 2026, with dam filling levels approaching 66% and total stored water exceeding 11.2 billion cubic meters. The improvement has strengthened the country’s ability to meet drinking water requirements, support agricultural irrigation and manage pressure on freshwater resources after several consecutive years of drought. According to Nizar Berraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, the reserves currently available are sufficient to secure drinking water supplies across all provinces for an additional two years, assuming that consumption and water management conditions remain within manageable limits.
Speaking during the presentation of his ministry’s draft budget for 2027 before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Infrastructure, Energy, Minerals and the Environment, Berraka highlighted the improvement in dam storage levels. The national filling rate has risen to approximately 66%, compared with around 32% during the same period in 2025. Official figures put the precise rate at 65.82%, against 31.12% a year earlier, while the volume of stored water reached approximately 11.207 billion cubic meters.
This recovery represents a significant change from the situation experienced during recent drought years, when declining rainfall, reduced river flows and increased demand placed considerable pressure on reservoirs. The improvement in water availability provides greater flexibility for managing supplies, although it does not eliminate the structural challenges associated with climate change, uneven rainfall distribution and rising consumption.
Morocco currently operates 154 large dams with a combined storage capacity of approximately 20.8 billion cubic meters. The network also includes 150 small dams and hillside reservoirs distributed across different regions. In addition, the country has 17 seawater desalination plants and 18 water transfer facilities, which form part of a broader infrastructure system designed to diversify water supplies and reduce dependence on rainfall.
The latest figures nevertheless reveal considerable differences between river basins, illustrating the uneven geographical distribution of water resources across Morocco. The Bouregreg basin, located in the north-central Atlantic region around Rabat and Salé, recorded the highest filling rate at 76.76%, followed by Tensift at 74.32%, covering the Marrakech and Haouz plain area, and Sebou at 74.27%, which extends across the Fes-Meknes region and parts of the northern Middle Atlas. The Loukkos basin, situated in northwestern Morocco around Larache and Ksar El Kebir, reached 72.58%, while the northeastern Moulouya basin, extending across the Oriental region towards the Mediterranean coast, recorded 72.49%.
The Oum Er-Rbia basin, which stretches from the Middle Atlas towards the central Atlantic plains, registered a filling rate of 58.94%, while Ziz-Ghris, covering southeastern areas around Errachidia, Erfoud and Tafilalet, reached 58.37%. Further south, Souss-Massa, encompassing the Agadir region and the Souss agricultural plain, stood at 46.29%, while Draa-Oued Noun, covering large areas of southern and southeastern Morocco, including the Draa Valley and Guelmim region, recorded the lowest level at 38.58%. These differences are particularly relevant for agricultural areas and communities where water availability remains constrained despite the improvement in national reserves.
The relatively high levels recorded in northern and central basins contrast with the more limited recovery in certain southern and southeastern regions. This situation reinforces the importance of water transfers between basins, particularly when rainfall patterns differ considerably from one region to another. It also highlights why national storage figures alone cannot provide a complete picture of water security at the regional level.
Agricultural water demand remains one of the main challenges facing the country. Irrigation accounts for a substantial share of national freshwater consumption, making improvements in agricultural efficiency essential to preserving dam reserves. The Ministry of Equipment and Water intends to expand localized irrigation systems to approximately one million hectares, while encouraging farmers to adopt crops that require less water. These measures are designed to reduce water losses in agriculture, improve productivity and limit the sector’s exposure to recurring drought conditions.
The government is also targeting improvements in drinking water distribution networks. Berraka announced that the ministry aims to increase network efficiency to 78% in 2027 through infrastructure renovation, leakage detection and better operational management. Reducing losses during water distribution is an important part of the national strategy, as a considerable volume of treated water can be wasted before reaching consumers because of ageing pipes and inadequate infrastructure.
Alongside distribution improvements, Morocco faces the challenge of preserving the storage capacity of its existing dams. One of the problems identified by the minister is sediment accumulation, which gradually reduces the volume of water reservoirs can retain. According to the figures presented, sedimentation causes the loss of approximately 58 million cubic meters of storage capacity every year. Accumulated sediment already represents a volume equivalent to around 20% of the country’s total dam storage capacity.
To limit these losses, the government intends to strengthen reforestation programmes in watersheds surrounding dams. Expanding forest cover and protecting vegetation in these areas can reduce soil erosion and prevent large quantities of sediment from being carried into reservoirs by rainfall and river flows. This approach is particularly important for extending the operational life of existing dams and preserving their ability to store water during periods of abundant rainfall.
However, Morocco’s response to water shortages extends beyond the management of conventional reservoirs. The country is increasingly investing in alternative water resources, particularly seawater desalination and the transfer of water between river basins. These projects are intended to diversify supply sources and reduce the vulnerability of cities, agricultural areas and economic activities to fluctuations in rainfall.
Desalination has become an important component of this strategy, particularly along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. The development of new facilities is expected to provide additional drinking water supplies while supporting agricultural production in selected regions. The Dakhla seawater desalination project, which had reached approximately 97% completion according to previously reported progress figures, illustrates this approach. Its development is also associated with plans to support irrigated agricultural areas through the use of desalinated water.
Other projects are intended to strengthen the connection between regions with relatively abundant resources and areas facing shortages. The transfer of water between the Sebou and Bouregreg basins is one example of infrastructure designed to improve the distribution of available resources. Such projects can help supply major urban centres and reduce pressure on local reservoirs, particularly during periods of limited rainfall.
The government’s broader investment programme also includes the construction of additional dams, the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and the development of water distribution systems. These investments are part of the National Programme for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation, which is scheduled to reach the end of its current implementation period in 2027.
Berraka announced that his ministry has begun preparing a new water programme, expected to be launched by the end of 2027. The new framework is intended to complement the existing national programme and address the country’s medium- and long-term water requirements. Its preparation comes as Morocco seeks to establish a more diversified water supply system capable of responding to increasingly irregular rainfall patterns and the growing needs of its population and economy.
The recovery in dam reserves is also relevant to the country’s economic activities. Agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and urban development all depend on reliable water supplies. Although the improvement in rainfall and reservoir levels provides some relief, continued population growth, expanding urban areas and the development of new economic projects are expected to maintain pressure on available resources.
The agricultural sector remains particularly exposed to fluctuations in water availability. Several years of drought have affected crop production, livestock activities and rural incomes, while increasing the need for irrigation and alternative supply solutions. Improving irrigation efficiency and promoting less water-intensive agricultural production are therefore important elements of the government’s efforts to reconcile agricultural development with the preservation of water resources.
The latest recovery also provides an opportunity to strengthen water management practices before another period of reduced rainfall. Dam reserves can offer a temporary buffer against drought, but their capacity to guarantee long-term security depends on rainfall, consumption levels, infrastructure efficiency and the ability to replenish reservoirs.
Morocco’s current water situation therefore combines two developments: a significant improvement in short-term availability and the continuation of structural challenges that require substantial investment. The increase in dam filling rates has improved the country’s immediate capacity to meet drinking water needs, but the uneven distribution of reserves means that some regions remain more vulnerable than others.
The government’s objective is increasingly to move towards a diversified water supply model in which dams, desalination facilities, inter-basin transfers, treated wastewater and more efficient irrigation systems complement one another. This approach is intended to reduce dependence on rainfall while ensuring that available resources are distributed more efficiently between households, agriculture and economic activities.
For Morocco, the current recovery in dam reserves represents an important improvement after several difficult drought years. Nevertheless, the challenge will be to transform this temporary improvement into lasting water security. Achieving that objective will require sustained investment in infrastructure, better control of water losses, protection of watersheds and more responsible consumption across all sectors. The new water programme expected in 2027 will therefore be an important part of the country’s efforts to adapt its water management policies to increasingly demanding climatic and economic conditions.
