Morocco

Consistent with global warming trends, observations from Morocco’s National Meteorological Directorate show rising temperatures, less precipitation, and an increase in drought, widening the gap between water supply and demand. Average temperatures are expected to rise between 2 and 5ºC by the end of this century, while rainfall is predicted to decline 20 to 30%.

Morocco’s rural northeast coast, including Nador and Berkane provinces, is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, storm surges, and coastal flooding. Some areas of the north coast are already eroding at a rate of 1 metre per year and the average global sea level rise (SLR) predicted by the IPCC (up to 59 cm by 2100) will exacerbate erosion. Poverty limits the ability of local residents to cope with these changes. Average farm household incomes in some communities are as low as $540 per year. Remittances from overseas relatives keep many families out of poverty, but do little to create jobs.

Morocco is located in north‐east Africa, on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast, at latitudes of 27 to 35°N. The Atlas mountain range runs through the centre of the country, forming a dividing line between the two main climatic zones, the Mediterranean northern coastal regions, and the southern, interior regions which lie on the edge of the hot Sahara desert.

Temperatures in the coastal regions range between 22‐25°C in the summer and 10‐12°C in the winter. Temperatures throughout the year are considerably lower than this range at the higher altitudes of the Atlas Mountains. The wet season lasts between November and March, affecting only the north of Morocco, with an average of 50 to 100mm per month.

Sources: ALM's Climate Change Adaptation Profile: Moroccan Coastal Management: Building Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change through Sustainable Policies and Planning

and the University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment. Accessed on 23 November 2009 at: http://country-profiles.geog.ox.ac.uk/