Casablanca – Rainfall recorded across Morocco in late December has led to a noticeable improvement in national water reserves, offering short-term relief after years of pressure on the country’s hydraulic system. While the gains are significant, available data indicate that underlying water vulnerability remains unresolved, underscoring the limits of rainfall-dependent recovery in a context marked by climatic uncertainty and uneven regional distribution.

Official figures from the Ministry of Equipment and Water, published through the Maadialna.ma platform, show that total water stored in Moroccan dams reached approximately 6.046 billion cubic meters as of December 26, 2025. This volume corresponds to a national fill rate of 36%, reflecting a year-on-year increase of about 1.236 billion cubic meters, or 25.6%, compared with the same period in 2024.

The pace of recovery during this period has been particularly striking. Between December 22 and 26 alone, reservoirs gained 409 million cubic meters, highlighting the immediate impact of concentrated rainfall episodes. Additional precipitation between December 27 and 28 further increased national reserves by 117.1 million cubic meters, confirming the responsiveness of Morocco’s dam system to favorable meteorological conditions.

Despite these improvements, the benefits of rainfall remain unevenly distributed across river basins, reflecting long-standing disparities in hydrological potential, storage capacity, and rainfall patterns.

Uneven regional gains reveal persistent disparities

Northern and central basins recorded the most substantial inflows during the late-December rainfall events. The Sebou basin alone gained 35.7 million cubic meters, while the Oum Er-Rbia basin added 22.6 million cubic meters, significantly strengthening its reserves.

Several dams in the north approached high fill levels. Oued El Makhazine Dam, located in Larache Province, increased its storage by 12.1 million cubic meters, bringing its fill rate to 76.5%. Charif Al Idrissi Dam in Tétouan gained 4.9 million cubic meters, pushing its level close to full capacity at 94.5%. Other dams in the same region, including Kharroub and Ibn Battouta, also registered notable improvements.

In the Rabat-Salé region, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah Dam, which plays a central role in supplying drinking water to the capital and surrounding areas, added 6.3 million cubic meters, raising its fill rate to nearly 80%.

By contrast, several southern and eastern basins continue to face pronounced shortages. The Souss-Massa basin, a key agricultural area, remains under acute pressure, with overall dam fill rates hovering around 19.9%. Major reservoirs such as Abdelmoumene and Youssef Ben Tachfine remain well below levels needed to support normal irrigation cycles. The Moulouya basin is similarly constrained, with average storage levels close to 30%.

Even within regions that benefited from rainfall, some dams continue to show structural weakness. Dar Khrofa Dam, also located in Larache Province, remains at just 14.4% of capacity, illustrating how localized hydrological limitations can persist despite broader improvements.

Infrastructure expansion as a strategic response

In response to recurring water stress, Moroccan authorities have intensified efforts to expand and modernize the country’s hydraulic infrastructure. Over recent years, six major dams have been completed, with individual storage capacities ranging from tens of millions to several hundred million cubic meters, significantly increasing national water storage potential. In parallel, a large-scale reservoir in the southern provinces has entered its initial filling phase, marking an additional step in strengthening regional water security.

Beyond these completed projects, 15 large dams are currently under construction across different regions of the country. Authorities have also outlined plans to commission more than 40 small and medium-sized dams by 2026, each designed to mobilize at least 1 million cubic meters of water. Together, these investments aim to reinforce drinking water supply systems, stabilize irrigation for agricultural activity, and enhance Morocco’s resilience to increasing climatic variability and hydrological uncertainty.

Agricultural and management implications

The uneven recovery of dam levels has direct consequences for agricultural production. In water-stressed regions such as Souss-Massa, reduced reservoir levels have led to cuts in irrigated areas, increased reliance on groundwater extraction, and rising production costs. These pressures threaten rural employment, farm incomes, and food supply chains.

Conversely, basins with stronger water availability, particularly Loukkos and Sebou, are better positioned to maintain irrigation schedules and support agricultural continuity during the current season.

Authorities emphasize that rainfall-driven gains, while welcome, remain temporary. Long-term water security depends on structural reforms, including reducing losses in distribution networks, modernizing irrigation systems, diversifying supply sources through desalination and wastewater reuse, and improving inter-basin water transfers. The effects of evaporation, soil absorption, and reservoir release management also continue to influence how much rainfall ultimately translates into usable water.

Outlook

The rainfall events of December 2025 demonstrate both the potential and the limits of natural replenishment. While they have provided measurable relief to Morocco’s dam system, they also reaffirm the country’s exposure to structural water stress. Sustained resilience will depend less on episodic rainfall and more on long-term planning, infrastructure investment, and integrated water governance capable of adapting to increasing climate variability.