Morocco is a country in northwest Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Alboran Sea to the west. The country’s climate varies with its topography. The Rif mountains lie in the north, the Atlas Mountains in the center, plateaus in the east, plains and the coastlines in the west, and desert along the edge of the Sahara in the south. Most of Morocco experiences mild, wet winters and hot dry summers. Increased temperatures and reduced precipitation are expected to have negative effects on Morocco’s water availability and food security, thus making it highly vulnerable to climate variability and change (World Bank Group, 2021). 

Morocco’s average annual temperature has increased in recent decades and is projected to rise more by the end of the century, characterized by more frequent, intense, and widespread heatwaves (IEA, 2023). Precipitation trends have shown high variability; however, the past several decades have demonstrated more erratic and overall lower rainfall across the country (World Bank Group, 2021). Increasing frequency, magnitude, and duration of drought is a major ongoing concern for the country (ibid.). Water scarcity will have severe consequences on the country’s agriculture, health, and infrastructure (e.g., due to the failure of sewage and storm water systems) and has pushed agriculture to fragile lands. By increasing the average annual temperature and the intensity of heatwaves, climate change is also expected to put a greater number of people in Morocco at risk of heat-related medical conditions. Rising sea levels and toxic algae blooms caused by warmer Mediterranean waters are also projected to have negative consequences for Morocco’s fisheries (ibid.). 

Morocco aims to increase its share of renewable electricity generation from 17.6% in 2020 to 52% by 2050, however renewables are sensitive to climate conditions and require adaptation measures (IEA, 2023). 

CARE Morocco has been working on climate change and resilience as a cross-cutting theme since 2007.