CHARACTERIZATION OF DROUGHT PERIODS IN THE TENSIFT WATERSHED (WEST-CENTRAL MOROCCO)

Morocco, which opens on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, is characterized by high mountain ranges separated by vast regions corresponding to extremely different climatic zones. Morocco has experienced significant droughts through its history due to these climatic conditions.

Recurrent drought periods have many negative consequences at different levels. Drought places more and more pressure on water resources especially on drinking water supply and water for agriculture. It’s also responsible for the degradation of the environment and human health by decreased water quality, increased soil erosion, and reduction of agricultural production capacity.

Our study focuses on the Tensift watershed located in west-central Morocco, which is characterized by a semi-arid climate with irregular rainfall both in space and time. The main objective of this study is to characterize the occurrence of dry periods through a long series of continuous rain records (75 years). Given the complexity of the phenomenon, many scientists have studied the possibility to develop indices to identify drought and highlight the temporal fluctuations in rainfall. In addition to the identification of dry sequences and their characterization by the calculation of these indices, it is possible to determine the extent of drought in terms of severity.