Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in Morocco Case of the Bouregreg Watershed

The hydrological regime of all the basins is characterized by a inter-annual variability marked by the alternation of the wet and dry episodes, intercalated by years of high hydraulic or severe drought. Most hydraulic basins faced water deficits. This situation is likely to deteriorate as a result of climate change and extreme events, particularly the reduction in rainfall and generalized drought. The threat of drought still occurs over the country, as in the periods of 1980-1985 and 1990-1995 and 1998-2002, during which almost all the watersheds faced a water deficit leading to the overexploitation of groundwater. The aim of this work is to describe the meteorological conditions of the watershed of Bouregreg in order to characterize the effect of climate variability on water resources. This study allowed us to quantify the relationship between climate and surface water resources, through statistical analysis of climate parameters and climate projections. The result of this work will contribute to better understand water management resources, in order to develop mitigation strategies to reduce climate risks effects.