Morocco’s dam filling rate drops to 47.8%

Morocco’s dam filling rate dropped to an average 47% nationwide as a surge in demand and fewer rainfall put a strain on the country’s water resources, water department said.

Morocco has stopped irrigation in regions where water storage reached critical levels such as the key agricultural Souss region.

Only the region of Loukous in north western Morocco had a filling rate close of over 90%.

Experts expect water storage in Morocco’s dams to further decrease due to vaporization and high demand this summer amid a drought that cut by 42% Morocco’s cereals harvest this year.

Morocco has 145 large dams and 250 small ones and plans 20 more dams between 2020 and 2027.

Since his accession to the throne in 1999, King Mohammed VI has consolidated the policy led by late King Hassan II to provide the Kingdom with water infrastructure through dams of different sizes.