Exploring Climate Change: Morocco in Focus

Manifestations of climate changeClimate change have been occurring more frequently in recent years, posing major challenges that require that require measures, and even strategies, for adaptation and mitigation. This review starts by providing an overview of climate changeClimate change, focusing first on defining key concepts and understanding the emergence of associated events beyond natural phenomena. The causes of these changes are then explored, with a heightened emphasis on human-induced factors, including the contribution of industrial activitiesIndustrial activities, agricultural practices, burning of fossil fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warmingGlobal warming. Afterwards, the various possible future evolutions of these changes were presented, addressing fundamental principles, scenario construction models, as well as their similarities and differences. This first part concludes by an analysis of the repercussions of such changes on water resourcesWater resources—currently considered the most affected environmental element and will continue to face more impacts—along with water-related sectors and their vulnerability in the face of these challenges. The second part of this review highlights climate changeClimate change in MoroccoMorocco, beginning with the country’s particular climatic features based on its topography and geographical location. Future projections are produced on the basis of previous scenarios, mainly for temperature and precipitationPrecipitation, to gauge the extent of climate change at national level. Subsequently, the repercussions of changes that have already occurred, as well as potential impactsImpacts resulting from future changes, are examined with a particular focus on the water, agricultureAgriculture, and food security sectors. In fact, the rise in temperatures, coupled with irregularity and decreased precipitationPrecipitation, have led to a 35% reduction in surface compared to the period of 1940–1970 and a 60-m decline in piezometric levels in certain aquifers. These changes significantly impactImpacts water supply, especially for the agricultureAgriculture sector, which heavily relies (87%) on rainfall conditions, putting food security at risk. Overcoming these critical situations will require substantial efforts, especially as the driving factors are expected to worsen.