Transforming Disaster Management in Morocco
A recent report highlights Morocco's significant shift from traditional disaster management to proactive risk prevention, underpinned by a comprehensive program supported by the World Bank. Between 2016 and 2025, Morocco has invested in hundreds of projects aimed at enhancing resilience against natural disasters, totaling over $408 million (approximately 378.6 billion Moroccan dirhams). This initiative marks a transformative approach, moving from merely responding to disasters after they occur to implementing strategies that mitigate losses before they happen.
The report, published on the World Bank's official website, reveals that Morocco has financed over 300 disaster risk reduction projects during this period. These projects, which encompass flood protection measures, early warning systems, risk mapping, and safer urban planning, have played a crucial role in safeguarding vulnerable populations. By March of the previous year, structural interventions alone had protected around 700,000 individuals, with nearly half of these being women, significantly exceeding initial targets.
Impact of Non-Structural Measures
In addition to structural projects, non-structural interventions, which include knowledge-based initiatives such as risk mapping and early warning systems, have also made a notable impact. These measures have benefited over 36 million people nationwide, with approximately half being women. The report further discusses a newly established disaster insurance system that now covers around 20 million people, highlighting the mobilization of $133 million by the Solidarity Fund and the disbursement of $300 million following the 2023 Al-Haouz earthquake.
Since 2023, a new early warning system for floods has provided protection to an estimated 240,000 individuals in four high-risk areas. The World Bank has supported Morocco through a combination of financing, policy reforms, and technical assistance over more than a decade. The program not only emphasizes emergency response but also aids in establishing a comprehensive risk management system prior to disasters, supporting the reform of Morocco's disaster fund to become a resilient financing mechanism and the establishment of a permanent disaster management directorate along with the adoption of the country’s first national disaster risk management strategy.
The World Bank underscores that the integrated disaster risk management program has directly contributed to reducing disaster risks and enhancing preparedness for over 36 million Moroccans, with women comprising nearly half of the beneficiaries. Furthermore, the Bank commends Morocco's experience, which demonstrates that resilience against disasters is most effective when institutional reforms, investment, and financial protection advance in unison.
Emphasizing the establishment of a specialized disaster management body and a long-term national strategy, the World Bank notes that these steps have enabled the sustainability of investments and coordination among ministries and local communities. The newly adopted insurance and solidarity system has proven capable of mobilizing resources swiftly in times of urgent need, as evidenced during the 2023 Al-Haouz earthquake.
As reported by hespress.com.
