Morocco’s Seven-Year Drought Officially Comes To An End

Morocco has formally broken a prolonged cycle of drought that has gripped the country for the past seven years, the nation’s Minister for Infrastructure and Water, Nizar Baraka, announced this month. Recent winter rainfall and significant snowfall have boosted water reserves and brought much-needed relief to the agricultural sector, officials say.

Addressing the House of Representatives, Minister Baraka described the current water situation as “positive,” confirming that the Kingdom has surpassed the threshold that defines a dry year. Between 1 September 2025 and mid-January 2026, Morocco recorded 108 mm of rainfall — roughly 95 per cent more than the same period last year and around 17–18 per cent above the long-term seasonal average. Exceptional snowfall in mountainous regions also contributed to groundwater recharge and reservoir inflows.

The impacts on national water storage have been striking. The average fill rate across Morocco’s dams climbed from around 28 per cent a year ago to approximately 46 per cent this season. Several key basins now exceed 50 per cent capacity, with some reaching their limits and necessitating controlled releases of water.

Regions that historically suffered acute water stress — such as Souss-Massa in the south — have seen noticeable improvement, according to government data. For farmers and agribusinesses, the shift marks a welcome turning point after years of dry conditions that depleted reservoirs, hindered cereal and forage production, and disrupted irrigation plans.

The end of this extended drought cycle is expected to have positive ripple effects across Moroccan agriculture, which employs a significant portion of the workforce and is reliant on consistent precipitation for field crops, orchards and pasturelands. While variability in rainfall remains a reality in North Africa, this season’s above-average precipitation offers a platform for replenishing soil moisture reserves ahead of spring planting.

As Morocco looks ahead, water management challenges persist, with plans to expand seawater desalination and optimise storage infrastructure to buffer future dry spells. Nonetheless, breaking the drought cycle this winter represents a significant milestone for the country’s water security and agricultural resilience.