Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Photos: Climate crisis threatens centuries-old oases in Morocco

Photos: Climate crisis threatens centuries-old oases in Morocco

Residents of the oasis of Alnif say they cannot remember a drought this bad. The land is dry. Some wells are empty. Palm groves that date back more than 100 years are barren.

Home to centuries-old oases that have been a trademark of Morocco, this region, about 274km (170 miles) southeast of Marrakesh, is reeling from the effects of climate change, which have created an emergency for the kingdom’s agriculture.

Among those affected is Hammou Ben Ady, a nomad in the Tinghir region who leads his flock of sheep and goats in search of grazing grass. The drought forced him to rely on government handouts of fodder.

November is usually a cold, wet month in Alnif. But when the rain failed to come, the king called for rain prayers across the country, an old Islamic tradition during desperately dry times.

Resident Mo’chi Ahmad said the oasis has provided a livelihood for this population for hundreds of years. Now it is “threatened with extinction” and everyone has noticed the disappearing palm trees.

In the last three years, hundreds of people from the oasis areas have fled towards cities, many young people migrating to Europe, mainly because of the drought, said Mohamed Bozama, another resident.

He also blames the digging of unauthorised wells and rising demand for water from existing wells for worsening the crisis.

But for Hassan Bouazza, part of the solution lies in the hands of the people of the Alnif region. He was the first to install solar panels on the region’s ksar, or castle, and began relying on the energy produced to dig wells and irrigate his fellow farmers’ lands.

“We must learn to live with the situation we’re in and think about ways to make the heat and drought work to our advantage,” such as by using new irrigation systems and solar power, he said.

He called for oasis inhabitants to be provided with training to help them move away from traditional irrigation in favour of drip irrigation, which requires significantly less water.

But sometimes, Bouazza said, it is hard not to despair when climate warnings are ignored.

“It is like a little child holds a dying bird in his hand, and all he does is laugh. This is how we are treating Mother Earth.”

Nomadic herders guide their sheep in search of food to graze near Tinghir, Morocco.

Boys play football in the Alnif oasis town. In the last three years, hundreds of people from oasis areas have fled towards cities, and many young people have migrated to Europe.

The sun sets over Tinghir, considered a gateway for southeastern Morocco and the desert region.

Dead palm trees are visible in the town of Nkob, near Zagora, Morocco.

People take part in a rain prayer procession during a drought in Alnif oasis town, near Tinghir. November is usually a cold, wet month, but when the rain failed to come, the king called for rain prayers across the country, an old Islamic tradition during desperately dry times.

Low water levels are visible around the Todgha dam near Tinghir, Morocco.

A worker watches as water flows from the ground during a well-digging process to provide water for nomads, near Tinghir. Digging of unauthorised wells and rising demand for water from existing wells are blamed for worsening the crisis.

Hammou Ben Ady, a nomad, pours water for his sheep, near Tinghir.

A man walks next to agricultural lands in the Alnif oasis town.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
×