Morocco declares the end of a seven-year drought
Winter rains refilled dams, with some key reservoirs back at full capacity.
Key points
- Morocco’s Water Minister Nizar Baraka declared the end of the country’s seven-year drought on 12 January 2026.
- Winter rainfall was 95% higher than a year earlier and 17% above the seasonal average, lifting average dam levels to 46%.
- The Oued Al Makhazine dam, the largest in northern Morocco, reached full capacity, and the dam serving Rabat was 99% full.
Morocco's seven-year drought is over. Water Minister Nizar Baraka made the announcement on 12 January 2026, after an unusually wet winter.
The numbers
- Winter rainfall was 95% higher than a year earlier and 17% above the seasonal average.
- The average dam-filling rate rose to 46%.
- The Oued Al Makhazine dam, the largest in northern Morocco, reached full capacity.
- The Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam, which supplies the Rabat area, was 99% full.
Relief for farmers
Seven years of drought had drained Morocco's dams, cut the wheat harvest, reduced cattle herds and caused heavy job losses in farming. The drought also pushed the country to speed up its plans to desalinate seawater.
What comes next
One wet winter does not end Morocco's long-term water challenge. Experts note that the country will still need to manage demand, reduce waste and expand desalination to cope with a drier climate. But after years of restrictions, the rains brought real relief to farmers and cities alike.
Sources
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