Morocco is stepping up its water security strategy as extreme weather events intensify, rainfall remains unevenly distributed and pressure on groundwater reserves grows. Speaking before the House of Representatives on Monday, November 2, 2026, Nizar Baraka outlined planned investments in dams, desalination plants, water transfers between river basins and treated wastewater reuse. The targets include raising dam storage capacity to 27 billion cubic meters and annual desalinated water production to 1.8 billion cubic meters by 2031.
The minister of equipment, water and forests was responding to lawmakers’ questions about his department’s strategy to secure water supplies and prevent flood risks. He said the new strategy, drawn up in line with royal guidelines calling for a new generation of major development strategies, takes into account the profound climate changes facing the Kingdom.
Among the main challenges are increasingly frequent extreme weather events, including floods and heat waves, as well as major disparities in rainfall distribution, Baraka said. According to the minister, 53% of rainfall occurs across just 7% of the national territory, worsening regional imbalances in water availability.
14 major dams under construction, 12 more planned
These disparities are compounded by uneven groundwater distribution and the overexploitation of aquifers in several regions. Baraka also pointed to flood episodes that reached flow rates of 3,600 cubic meters per second in 2026, illustrating the scale of the events that water infrastructure must now withstand.
To strengthen the country’s ability to collect and store water, the government is accelerating its dam construction program. Baraka said 14 major dams are currently under construction, with a combined storage capacity of 5.4 billion cubic meters. Another 12 large dams are being planned and prepared for launch, with the aim of adding a further 4.9 billion cubic meters of capacity.
The program also includes several medium-sized dams under construction, along with three additional facilities in this category that are planned.
Together, these investments are expected to raise Morocco’s total dam storage capacity to 27 billion cubic meters by 2031. The increase is intended to strengthen national reserves and improve the country’s ability to cope with drought and fluctuations in rainfall.
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Another major project involves transferring water between river basins. Following the completion of the first section linking the Sebou and Bouregreg basins, the ministry plans to launch the second phase of the Bouregreg-Oum Er-Rbia interconnection early next year.
The project is expected to transfer around 800 million cubic meters of water to the areas concerned, the minister said. It should help secure drinking water supplies and strengthen food security by improving the distribution of available resources between basins.
Diversifying water sources is another pillar of the government’s strategy, with investment in seawater desalination gathering pace. National production capacity has risen from 46 million cubic meters in 2021 to 447 million cubic meters today, reflecting the sector’s rapid expansion.
Desalination to meet 60% of drinking water needs
The Casablanca desalination plant is expected to become operational in 2027. Meanwhile, the ministry plans to launch construction work this year on two new plants in the Nador and Driouch regions, with a combined annual capacity of 300 million cubic meters, as well as a facility in Tangier with a planned capacity of 150 million cubic meters.
Further projects are scheduled to begin in 2027, including a plant in Tiznit with a capacity of 350 million cubic meters, along with new facilities in Guelmim, Tan-Tan and Rabat. The program also includes expanding the Chtouka Aït Baha desalination plant.
Through these investments, Morocco aims to reach an annual desalination capacity of 1.8 billion cubic meters by the end of 2031. According to Baraka, this output should cover 60% of national drinking water needs and also support agricultural development.
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The strategy is not limited to increasing water supplies. It also includes measures to curb consumption and protect groundwater resources. In agriculture, efforts focus on expanding the area equipped with drip irrigation, with a target of more than one million hectares, while improving the efficiency of irrigation networks.
The use of treated wastewater is also set to increase. The ministry aims to raise reused volumes to 60 million cubic meters in 2027 and more than 100 million cubic meters by 2031.
Groundwater protection, meanwhile, will rely on management agreements designed to regulate withdrawals and curb overexploitation. Agreements have already been signed for the Haouz, Mejjat, Rmel, Meski Boudnib and Feija areas.
Further agreements are planned, notably in the Triffa area in the Berkane region, as well as in Dakhla and Berrechid. The ministry is also preparing 17 additional aquifer management contracts to promote more sustainable use of underground water resources.
27 flood protection projects completed
Baraka also announced plans to use digital tools and artificial intelligence, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, to reassess agricultural policy in light of available water resources. The aim is to align farming choices with the water that can actually be mobilized and encourage more efficient use.
Protecting water resources also means preserving the watersheds that feed dams. The minister stressed the importance of reforestation to limit soil erosion and the silting up of reservoirs. These processes, he said, result in the loss of 15% to 20% of dam storage capacity.
The strategy therefore includes restoring forests and wetlands, protecting biodiversity and strengthening communities’ resilience to drought and climate change.
Alongside efforts to mobilize water resources, the ministry also plans to strengthen flood prevention. Baraka outlined a five-part preventive plan, beginning with a better understanding of flood-prone areas through the preparation of a new flood risk atlas.
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The second component focuses on strengthening hydraulic infrastructure. This includes continuing construction of large, medium-sized, small and hillside dams, as well as building protective structures to regulate water flows and reduce the impact of floods. Baraka announced that 30 small hillside dams would be launched simultaneously in different regions of the Kingdom during November.
The minister said 27 flood protection projects have already been completed in several provinces and prefectures, including Larache, Tangier-Assilah, Tetouan, Ouezzane, Nador, Jerada, Boulemane, Meknes, Sefrou, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, Settat, Chichaoua, Marrakech, Zagora, Tiznit, Taroudant, Tinghir, Sidi Ifni, Tan-Tan, Assa-Zag, Boujdour, Laayoune, Chefchaouen and Al Haouz.
Another 21 projects are currently under construction. They concern the prefectures and provinces of Meknes, Skhirat-Témara, Taroudant, Inezgane, Figuig, Taza, Sidi Kacem, Youssoufia, Tangier-Assilah, Kenitra, Chichaoua, M’Diq, Sefrou and Larache. Further operations are planned in Guelmim, Errachidia, Zagora and Tinghir.
Early warning systems to anticipate floods
Baraka also addressed the situation in Safi, referring to the deadly floods that struck the city in 2025. He said a dedicated flood protection program had been drawn up after the necessary studies were completed. The project is now ready, with work scheduled to begin in 2027 to help prevent similar disasters.
The final component presented by the minister concerns stronger monitoring, forecasting and alert systems. His department is working on programs to track rainfall in real time and develop early warning systems that can anticipate risks and alert people living in threatened areas.
Baraka cited the system recently implemented in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, particularly in Errachidia, following floods recorded in that part of the Kingdom. These measures are intended to give authorities more time to respond and improve protection for people and property.
Through this strategy, the ministry plans to tackle several challenges simultaneously: increasing storage capacity, diversifying supplies through desalination, transferring water between basins, reducing excessive groundwater withdrawals and strengthening infrastructure to protect communities against floods.
