With extreme periods of drought interrupted by unprecedented rainfall over the last two winters, Morocco has increasingly suffered from flash floods. To combat the impact of flash floods and to make flood resilience a priority, the Moroccan authorities are developing an integrated, local approach to make the built environment more resilient to floods as part of broader urban planning and governance in the country. In cooperation with The Hague Academy, they are moving from a reactive and often slow response to a more coordinated and preventive approach, by developing technical guidelines and measures to improve flood management.
Flash floods affected at least 70 homes and businesses and killed at least 37 people in the historic city of Safi after just one hour of heavy rain in December 2025. Photo credits: Kingdom of Morocco
Moroccan cities and villages are increasingly exposed to extreme weather events affecting infrastructure and homes across the country. Cities are expanding into flood-prone areas, while drainage systems are often outdated and poorly maintained. At the same time, responsibilities for flood management are spread across multiple institutions. Local authorities and citizens still have limited access to tools and knowledge to anticipate and respond to floods. As heavy rainfall and flash floods become more frequent, the need to better manage water and protect communities is becoming more urgent. Therefore, the Moroccan authorities, supported by The Hague Academy, are developing concrete plans to make the built environment more resilient to floods, starting with technical guidelines.
“In Morocco, extreme floods are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, particularly due to climate change, rapid urbanisation, and soil sealing. These phenomena directly affect infrastructure, vulnerable urban areas, and sometimes the safety of populations.”
— Brahim El Kotbi, Director of Housing and Urban Policy in Larache
Moving from response to prevention
Moroccan authorities make limited use of flood risk data in urban planning and still lack practical guidelines for building in flood-prone areas. To address this, the Moroccan Ministry of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy has taken an important step: the development of technical guidelines for flood-resilient built environments.
“Following the recent floods in Morocco, it became essential to strengthen how flood risk is integrated into urban planning and building design. Through the training in the Netherlands, we were able to define the main objectives of the future technical guide and prepare the next steps for its development.”
— Nada El Moaden, Head of the Department for Promoting Sustainability in Construction, Ministry of National Territory Planning, Urban Planning, Housing, and City Policy of Morocco
Training participants identifying priorities for technical guidelines to increase flood resilience.
Identifying priorities and learning from Dutch best practices
Civil servants from different departments took part in training in Morocco. They identified the following priorities:
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities between institutions involved in flood risk management
- Exploring financing mechanisms to support prevention and adaptation measures
- Defining methods for collecting and analysing flood risk data, including mapping and monitoring systems
- Strengthening flood resilience measures of new constructions and existing buildings
- Strengthening awareness and capacity among institutions, professionals, and citizens
To facilitate peer exchange between Dutch and Moroccan counterparts, twenty participants from the ministry and related institutions visited the Netherlands for a five-day training programme. During the training, participants explored how flood risk can be integrated into spatial planning, how water-sensitive urban design can reduce runoff, and how buildings can be adapted to withstand flooding. During study visits to the Green Village at TU Delft, Keringhuis, and the Municipality of Dordrecht, their Dutch peers showed innovative technical solutions and shared how The Netherlands has developed a system of flood protection, by effective cooperation between different levels of government.
“Seeing buildings constructed on dikes in Dordrecht completely changed the way we think about the role of buildings. We were also impressed by how the Netherlands combines large-scale infrastructure with simpler local solutions, showing that resilience depends on complementary measures at different scales.”
— Nada El Moaden
Importantly, the training supported participants in moving from a reactive response to floods as isolated events to a preventive and localised approach as part of broader urban planning and governance.
“This training broadened my perspective of flood risk management. I was inspired by the governance role of the water board in the Netherlands, the coordination between different actors, and the emphasis placed on long-term planning.”
— Brahim El Kotbi
“This training fits perfectly within the scope of the Programme for the Sustainable Valorisation of Morocco’s Ksour and Kasbahs, which works in territories threatened by floods and severe weather events. The methods and solutions put in place for forecasting, infrastructure, and spatial planning stood out to me as essential.”
— Abdellah Hachimi, National Director of the Programme for the Sustainable Valorisation of Ksour and Kasbahs
Laying the foundations for integrated flood management
The training and exchange programme marks an important step in Morocco’s efforts to strengthen flood resilience. It will further inform the development of the technical guidelines, helping ensure they are practical, relevant, and aligned with local challenges.
Participants on a study visits at the Keringhuis storm surge barrier during the training programme in the Netherlands.
The “Flood Resilience Morocco: Water Management in Residential Areas” project is funded by Shiraka, a programme commissioned by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).