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Morocco World
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Morocco World
Heavy Rain Brings Over 24 Million Cubic Meters of Water to Draa-Tafilalet Dams
Rabat – The Guir-Ziz-Rheris Water Basin Agency has announced that the recent rainfall in Draa-Tafilalet brought about 24.18 million cubic meters of water to the dams in the region. These rains, which fell between April 11 and 13, are expected to improve water resources and support farming activities in the area. The agency said in a statement that the rainfall helped increase the total water storage in major dams to over 308 million cubic meters. The Hassan Addakhil Dam now holds 215.5 million cubic meters, which is 68.91% of its total capacity. The Kaddoussa Dam holds 85.33 million cubic meters (38.09%), and the Toudgha Dam has 7.17 million cubic meters (19.64%). The agency also explained that these rains will help recharge groundwater, increase spring flows, and boost agricultural activities. The Draa-Tafilalet region experienced heavy rainfall during these three days, which is expected to have a positive effect on water storage and farming. Read also: Snow and Rain Ease Morocco's Water Crisis, but Challenges Persist The General Directorate of Meteorology issued a weather alert last week warning of rainfall between 40 and 70 mm in several areas, including Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Errachidia, Al Haouz, Midelt, Taroudant, and Azilal. These rains came just a few weeks after very heavy rain and snowfall hit the region and many other parts of Morocco last month. The intense weather disrupted roads and closed schools in some areas, but it was still seen as a relief in light of the year-long drought and the severe water crisis Morocco has endured in recent months. Reservoirs across the country reached a 35% filling rate compared to 26% during the same period last year. Still, many experts warned that the recent rainfall is not enough to resolve Morocco's long-term water crisis. 'Morocco has always been a country of drought. This is structural, not something new. It existed before the establishment of the Moroccan state, before the Idrisid dynasty,' Mohammed-Said Karrouk, professor of climatology at Hassan II University of Casablanca, told MWN.
Morocco World
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Morocco World
Experts: Recent Rainfall Does Not End Crisis, Drought Is Part of Morocco's History
Doha – Heavy rains have returned to Morocco after seven years of drought, bringing relief to many regions and increasing dam levels across the country. According to official data, dam filling rates have improved from 26% last year to approximately 35% today, alleviating immediate concerns about water scarcity. However, this improvement falls significantly short of the 68% filling rate recorded in 2018, indicating that Morocco's water crisis is far from resolved. The recent precipitation has primarily benefited northern regions, which were less affected by water shortages, while central and southern areas continue to struggle despite the rainfall. The situation has prompted water and climate experts to warn that these temporary rainfalls should not distract from addressing Morocco's structural water challenges, emphasizing that drought is an inherent part of Morocco's climate history that requires long-term management strategies. 'Morocco has always been a country of drought' Mohammed-Said Karrouk, professor of climatology at Hassan II University of Casablanca, told Morocco World News (MWN) that Morocco's current water situation must be understood within its historical context. 'Morocco has always been a country of drought. This is structural, not something new. It existed before the establishment of the Moroccan state, before the Idrisid dynasty,' Karrouk said, criticizing government officials who make statements 'with no basis in truth.' He pointed out that despite being a drought-prone country, Morocco has managed to establish stability, build a state, and develop civilization throughout its history, which would not have been possible without the periodic return of rainfall. The recent rains came after seven years of drought that 'revealed the failure of water policies in Morocco,' Karrouk explained. He acknowledged that while Morocco has succeeded technically in building dams and developing various water management technologies, 'we have not succeeded from a management, political, and social perspective.' The heaviest rainfall has been concentrated in northern regions that 'were not suffering from water shortages,' the climatologist noted, referencing dams that were at 30-50% capacity even after seven years of drought. 'These areas that didn't have severe water shortages received the most water, causing small dams to fill rapidly to the point where some overflowed, which is another problem in dam management. A dam should not overflow,' Karrouk said. While central and southern regions have also received rainfall, he added, these areas continue to face challenges. 'The water table is still deep because it was heavily depleted and will take more time to recover,' Karrouk clarified. 'The proof is that dams in these regions are not filling quickly because much of the water must first seep into the soil to reach the water table.' He expressed skepticism about whether the government would learn from the current situation. 'I don't think so, because we've said this repeatedly, and all Moroccans have heard it across all social, administrative, and political segments of the country. However, the prevailing policy remains focused on production, production, production, and export, export, export,' Karouk said. 'Water is a factor of administrative, political, and social stability as well as environmental, political, and food security. Those who were using this water to maintain power will not give up this power. Therefore, I do not believe that Morocco, with its various governments of all types, will change its water management policy.' He further recalled: 'When we developed dams, we increased water capacity. But what did we do? We expanded water usage—we encouraged water consumption.' For him, 'this is the reason why the recent drought was so harsh on Moroccans. We created multiple activities linked to water. When the water stopped, the activities stopped, leading to unemployment and various problems.' 'The more water we have, the more we use water beyond what we need and beyond what we used before,' he concluded, citing as evidence the fact that when dam levels were lower than they are now, 'we used less water in agriculture and things were fine.' 'We sometimes think with the memory of a fish' Abdelhakim El Filali, water and environmental expert and professor at Sultan Moulay Slimane University in Beni Mellal, shared a common point with Karrouk, going further in telling MWN that Morocco's water crisis extends far beyond current rainfall patterns. 'Morocco has indeed experienced its sixth year of drought, a drought that naturally comes at a time when demand for water resources is increasing, whether in agriculture, industry, or drinking water,' El Filali stated. While acknowledging the importance of recent rainfall in replenishing dam reserves and groundwater, he warned against complacency. 'Unfortunately,' he lamented, 'we sometimes think with the memory of a fish, where rainfall over two weeks makes us forget what we experienced for more than six years.' El Filali also made the point that, contrary to alarmist reports, Morocco is historically familiar with alternating long dry and wet periods. 'What we're experiencing today with climate change — the succession of dry years and wet years — is a characteristic and integral part of Morocco's climate identity,' he argued. 'This isn't something we can consider new. What is new is the increasing intensity of extreme climate events, whether severe drought or sometimes severe flooding.' He underlined that historical evidence, including references in the Quran's Surah Yusuf and the Torah about seven dry years followed by seven wet years, confirms that the Mediterranean region 'is marked by alternating dry and wet years, which necessitates rethinking how we deal with water resources from a scarcity perspective rather than an abundance perspective.' He stressed, in particular, that the current rainfall, despite its importance, 'cannot make us forget the water stress we're experiencing and still experiencing in many regions. It cannot fill the deficit in dams and underground aquifers.' As he sees it, 'the problem will always remain if we don't focus on consumption, because what brought us to where we are today is not just drought, but the unprecedented increase in water resource consumption.' The water expert pointed to unsustainable water usage as a major factor in the crisis. As he revealed, 'During these six years of drought, Morocco recorded unprecedented numbers in agricultural exports, which actually reflects a major problem in Morocco's agricultural and water policies and highlights the contradictions between them.' El Filali called for several urgent measures regardless of rainfall amounts. For him, 'conserving water consumption, reviewing water and agricultural policies, and enforcing laws regarding water consumption are among the possible measures to exit the state of water stress.' He criticized the delay in implementing planned infrastructure projects. 'With a bit of objectivity, I can say that the water stress Morocco experienced over the last six years remains unacceptable, for a simple reason: if Morocco had implemented its outlined water supply policies, such as desalination plants that were scheduled to be ready in 2016, the situation would have been less dire.' 'It's worth noting that 91% of wells are unlicensed,' El Filali disclosed, pointing to the widespread non-compliance with Water Law 36.15. 'Perhaps it's time to take responsibility and establish in our general, water, and agricultural policies that Morocco, due to its location, will remain, regardless of circumstances, an area of alternating dry and wet years,' El Filali concluded, adding that 'it's time to link responsibility with accountability.' Tags: Drought in Moroccorainfall in Moroccowater management Morocco
WIRED
08-02-2025
- Science
- WIRED
How Morocco Became the Meteorite Hunting Capital of the World
Feb 8, 2025 5:00 AM Since the 'Saharan Gold Rush' in the 1990s, one researcher has been fighting for the North African country's contributions to science to be recognized. Photograph:If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED At the world's most renowned meteorite show, in Ensisheim in France, I noticed there were many dealers from Morocco. Unlike most of the Europeans and Americans—who had display cases and labels and books—the Moroccan stalls were minimalistic. Perhaps a white sheet covered with lumps of reddish-brown rocks. A pair of scales. Sometimes a piece of paper with prices per kilo written in biro. It was only back in England that I learned about the Saharan Gold Rush. Since 1999 the number of meteorites being found in Morocco has exploded. The number officially recognized exceeds a thousand—though this is described by scientists as 'a gross underestimate.' For comparison, the UK has a mere 23 falls and finds. 'You must talk to Hasnaa,' a dealer, Darryl Pitt, wrote to me. 'She has attempted—and has somewhat succeeded—turning the chaos of the North African meteorite trade into something more orderly.' It wasn't the first time her name had come up. Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane, a professor at the Hassan II University of Casablanca, is used to being the outsider in the room. At meetings of the Meteoritical Society's Committee for Meteorite Nomenclature, the group tasked with officially naming recognized meteorites, she was, when she was a member, 'the unique representative from any Arab or Muslim country.' (She remains a consultant to the committee.) When I broached the subject of Morocco's exports, she groaned. 'The situation with Moroccan meteorites is insane,' she says. 'It's unethical.' Towards the end of the last century several factors combined to make Morocco a meteorite hot spot. First, climate and geography. Allowing for the difference in total surface area, a meteorite is as likely to land in the Highlands of Scotland as in the Sahara, but in the former it will be a lot harder to find—the heather, the rocks—and will 'terrestrialize' much more quickly—the rain, the mud, the snow. Most (though not all) meteorites reach Earth with dark fusion crust exteriors. In the Sahara such rocks stand out against the sand. Buy this book at: If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Secondly, Morocco already had a network of Western fossil, mineral, and archaeological hunters and dealers, while many Moroccans—members of nomadic groups in particular—were highly skilled in searching for rocks and artifacts in the desert. When I walked with my herd, I looked at the ground,' a nomad explained to a journalist from the Middle East Eye. The stone business, he said, had rescued many nomadic families from poverty. Thirdly, Morocco's legal and geopolitical situation helped things along. 'We are, thank God, a peaceful country,' Chennaoui says. 'It is something unique in the region.' Here it is (relatively) safe to wander the Saharan sands looking for stones. Furthermore, there was no dedicated regulation of the country's meteorites. If you found a meteorite in Morocco, it was probably yours to do with as you liked. The American dealer Michael Gilmer places the beginning of the Saharan Gold Rush in the mid-1990s. Foreign dealers quickly discovered that unclassified meteorites could be purchased from Moroccan traders at very low prices, formally analyzed in the West, and sold on for considerable profit. The town of Erfoud in the southeastern Drâa-Tafilalet region of Morocco, known as 'the gateway to the Sahara,' became a hub for those hoping to make money from meteorites. A visitor will find shops selling meteorites and fossils, some with small ad hoc museums. Some nomads have diversified into taking tourists and collectors out into the desert to search for stones. Chennaoui is not against the meteorite trade. She has no wish to take away someone's livelihood, and besides, if no one was paid for their meteorites then no one would collect them and they would be lost to the desert. She does, however, 'think it's really unfair that nothing stays in Morocco.' Her dream is that one day the nation will build a permanent national collection of its own. Not everyone is keen. Some hunters and dealers fear a tightening of regulations on meteorite ownership and export and potential damage to their trade. 'They can put up museums if they want, but not take away our only source of income,' one man told the Financial Times. For now, Chennaoui is conducting a private rescue mission, using her own money to prevent interesting meteorites being sold abroad. She has turned her collection into a travelling exhibition, currently based in a shopping mall in Casablanca. With more than 17,000 visitors by June 2023, it presents for the first time in Morocco a collection of Moroccan meteorites. 'I want to educate people to be proud,' she says, 'to understand that this is their heritage.' Since 2004 Chennaoui's university group has been responsible for the fieldwork and documentation for almost all Moroccan falls. They also try to do the same for finds, 'but it's difficult because there are a lot of them.' She has initiated a system for people who think they might have found a meteorite to contact her or other local meteoriticists for verification. She tries to explain that 'even if a meteorite is sold and exported, it should still be recognized as something that was originally from their country.' Morocco continues to export huge numbers of meteorites, but according to Gilmer, the Saharan Gold Rush is now over. Local finders, realizing how much the middlemen and dealers were making, began demanding fairer compensation. Moroccan traders in the city increased their prices in response. At the same time, dealers noticed that the meteorites they were paying more for were of poorer quality and more weathered. The big, obvious, high-quality meteorites had mostly been picked and sold. A unique, unrepeatable period has come to a close. 'The world only has one region like northwest Africa, where a fortuitous combination of geographical, legal, and climatological forces converged,' Gilmer writes. 'There are no new Moroccos waiting in the wings.' The Gold Rush may be over but it leaves Morocco forever changed. Arguably Moroccans are now taking charge of their meteorites—whether in the form of nomads demanding fairer compensation or the development of national scientific institutions. 'We have gained scientific credibility in Morocco with laboratories around the world that leave the doors open for us to carry out our analyses and to welcome our students,' Chennaoui says. Excerpt adapted from The Meteorites: Encounters With Outer Space and Deep Time, by Helen Gordon. Published by Profile Books on February 6, 2025.
