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The Bouregreg and Chaouia hydraulic basin has witnessed an impressive 82% increase in rainfall compared to the average for a typical year, as of February 19, 2026, announced Nizar Baraka, the Minister of Equipment and Water. He made this statement on Friday in Benslimane during the opening of the Board of Directors meeting of the Bouregreg and Chaouia Hydraulic Basin Agency (ABHBC) for the 2025 fiscal year.
Baraka detailed that from September 2025 to the present, the basin's average rainfall reached 452.9 mm, marking an 82% surplus over the norm and a staggering 317.6% rise compared to the same period last year.
Significant water inflows have been observed, amounting to 1,080 million cubic meters in the basin's reservoirs by February 19, 2026, he added. Groundwater levels in the basin have risen by 1 to 3 meters in recent months, thanks to the abundant rainfall.
The minister noted that the 2024-2025 hydrological year was characterized by an 18.5% rainfall deficit compared to a normal year, adversely affecting dam inflows with a shortfall of about 61% relative to usual levels. Despite the recent surge in rainfall, the government remains committed to implementing strategic programs.
In this context, Baraka highlighted plans for the second phase of the interconnection project linking the Sebou, Bouregreg, and Oum Er-Rbia basins to bolster the Al Massira dam's water resources, with the second phase slated to begin in 2026.
He also mentioned the ongoing first phase of the seawater desalination plant in Casablanca and plans for a similar facility in Rabat. Additionally, the minister emphasized the Agency's efforts to mitigate flood impacts across various cities and centers.
To this end, several initiatives have been launched, including enhancing the early warning system by equipping 45 hydrological stations with automatic measuring devices. Furthermore, flood risk prevention plans have been devised for the Casablanca-Settat region and upstream of the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to pinpoint flood-prone areas.
The Agency is also developing a risk prevention plan for the Benslimane prefecture and creating an atlas of flood-prone areas in the Skhirate-Témara prefecture.
