Morocco: Moroccans Call for Urgent Action On Climate Impacts, Especially From Wealthy Countries

13 January 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Wallelign S. Hassen

Most citizens report worsening drought and crop failure in their region.

Key findings

  • Large majorities of Moroccans say that drought (86%) and crop failure (65%) have become more severe in their area over the past 10 years.
  • Many Moroccans report having to adjust their lives in response to changing weather patterns, including using less water or changing water sources (47%), changing the types of crops they plant or the foods they eat (36%), reducing or rescheduling outdoor work (33%), moving to a different place (18%), and reducing their livestock holdings or changing grazing patterns (39% of those who have livestock).
  • Two-thirds (67%) of Moroccans say they have heard of climate change.
  • Among those who have heard of climate change: o Three-fourths (76%) say it is making life in Morocco worse, up from 49% in 2018.
  • About four in 10 citizens attribute climate change primarily to human activity (38%), and another 43% blame a combination of human activity and natural processes.
  • More than three-fourths (77%) say people, businesses, and governments in other parts of the world are primarily responsible for causing climate change.
  • Nine in 10 say rich or developed nations should take steps now to fight climate change (88%) and should provide climate aid to Morocco (90%).
  • More than two-thirds (68%) say their government must take immediate action to limit climate change, "even if it is expensive or causes some job losses or other harm to our economy."
  • But a majority (59%) of Moroccans see rich or developed countries as bearing primary responsibility for limiting climate change.
  • Among all respondents, majorities express support for government policies to respond to changes in climate, including placing pressure on developed countries for aid (92%), investing in climate-resilient infrastructure (91%), requiring the use of cookstoves that use cleaner fuels (77%), and banning tree cutting for firewood or charcoal (70%).

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The threat posed by climate change is becoming increasingly apparent. Although Africa has contributed little to greenhouse-gas emissions, it has been severely impacted by the consequences (Hammoudy, Ilmen, & Sinan, 2024; Kreft, Eckstein, & Melchior, 2016). Morocco is one of the most vulnerable countries to the consequences of climate change (Diffenbaugh & Giorgi, 2012; Schilling, Hertig, Tramblay, & Scheffran, 2020). It is recognised as a climate hotspot, recording temperature increases of 0.2 °C per decade since the 1960s, 11% more than the global average (Driouech et al., 2020; Cherif, Díaz-Cassou, & Megevand,2023).

In addition to a projected increase in weather disasters, climate change is impacting the country's agricultural production, water, and public health (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2021). Agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to changes in the weather, contributes about 15% of Morocco's gross domestic product, 23% of its exports, and 38% of employment (World Bank Group, 2020).

Due to uneven distribution of water in Morocco, the South suffers from scarcity of water, contributing to food insecurity and conflict over scarce resources, while rising sea levels impact the coastline (World Bank Group, 2021). Hence, changing precipitation patterns and reduced water availability will have serious consequences for the country.

Climate variability and rising temperatures damage public health through crop failure, food insecurity, malnutrition, increased incidence of disease, and vulnerability to heat-related conditions. For example, heat-related deaths among the elderly are projected to increase to almost 50 deaths per 100,000 per year by the 2080s, compared to a baseline of about five deaths per 100,000 annually between 1961 and 1990 (World Health Organization, 2015).

As a legal basis for environmental policies and strategies, Morocco's Constitution enshrines sustainable development, operationalised through the National Charter on the Environment and Sustainable Development. Aligned with its commitments under the Paris Agreement, Morocco has established ambitious climate goals for 2030 and articulated a 2050 Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy, a National Sustainable Development Strategy, and a National Climate Plan 2030 (World Bank, 2023).

A special module in Afrobarometer's Round 10 survey (2024) explores Moroccans' experiences, awareness, and attitudes related to climate change. Findings show that most citizens report increased severity of drought and crop failure in their region. Many report having to adapt to changing weather patterns by adjusting water use, altering livestock management, modifying crop and food practices, reducing or rescheduling outdoor work, and even moving.

Among the two-thirds of Moroccans who are familiar with climate change, most blame it on both human activity and natural processes, and a growing majority say it is making life in Morocco worse. Large majorities call for urgent climate action by rich and developed countries and by their own government. Most citizens express support for potential policy responses to changing weather conditions, including greater pressure on developed countries to provide climate aid, investment in resilient infrastructure, use of cleaner-burning cookstoves, and a ban on cutting trees for firewood or charcoal.

Wallelign S. Hassen Wallelign S. Hassen is a researcher at the University of Florida.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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