Morocco implements large-scale disaster resilience and prevention programs

Morocco has implemented a comprehensive disaster risk management strategy to combat increasing threats from earthquakes, floods, droughts, and coastal erosion. Supported by the World Bank Group, the nation has shifted its focus from reactive emergency response toward proactive prevention and preparedness.

Between 2016 and 2025, Morocco financed over 300 disaster risk reduction projects totaling more than $408 million. These initiatives include flood protection, hazard mapping, early warning systems, and safer urban planning. By March 2025, completed infrastructure projects had protected nearly 700,000 people, while nonstructural measures benefited over 36 million people nationwide.

Key institutional reforms include the establishment of a permanent Directorate for Disaster Risk Management and the adoption of the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy for 2020-2030. Additionally, a catastrophe insurance system was expanded to cover nearly 20 million people by 2025. These efforts follow significant natural disasters, such as the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake and severe flooding in Safi and northern Morocco in 2025 and 2026.