Morocco Turns Disaster Risk Into Resilience to Protect Millions Before Strikes

Morocco is changing the way it deals with natural disasters, putting more resources into prevention, preparedness and financial protection instead of relying mainly on emergency action after communities have already suffered losses. Supported by the World Bank Group through the Integrated Disaster Risk Management and Resilience Program, the country has financed more than 300 resilience projects worth over $408 million between 2016 and 2025, covering flood protection, early warning systems, hazard mapping and safer urban development.

Growing risks put communities under pressure

Morocco faces earthquakes, floods, droughts, landslides and coastal erosion, with climate change and rapid urban growth making many communities more exposed. The September 2023 Al-Haouz earthquake killed nearly 3,000 people and affected around 300,000. Flash floods in Safi in December 2025 killed at least 37 people, while severe flooding across northern Morocco in January and February 2026 displaced more than 180,000 people and prompted the government to declare several provinces disaster areas.

Faced with these risks, Morocco and the World Bank Group worked on a broader model in which reducing vulnerability became as important as responding to emergencies. A major part of that work involved transforming Morocco's disaster fund into a mechanism capable of financing resilience projects before disasters happen. The country also established a permanent disaster risk management directorate and adopted its first National Disaster Risk Management Strategy for 2020–2030, giving ministries and local authorities a clearer framework for long-term action.

Technical assistance supported stronger infrastructure standards, safer building regulations and resilience planning in cities including Fez and Mohammedia/Ain Harrouda. The program drew additional expertise and financing from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, the Global Shield Financing Facility and Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

Millions benefit from stronger protection

Between 2016 and 2025, Morocco financed more than 300 disaster risk reduction projects worth over $408 million. Investments ranged from flood protection infrastructure and early-warning systems to hazard mapping and safer urban planning.

The scale of protection grew well beyond initial expectations. By March 2025, completed structural projects were protecting nearly 700,000 people, around half of them women, almost three times the program's original target.

Projects that did not rely primarily on physical infrastructure reached an even larger population. Risk maps, preparedness measures, warning systems and other non-structural interventions benefited more than 36 million people nationwide by 2025, with women accounting for roughly half of beneficiaries.

Flood preparedness became another important part of the system. Since 2023, a new flood early-warning system has provided greater protection for about 240,000 people across four high-risk areas, giving communities and authorities more opportunity to act before dangerous conditions become disasters.

Institutional capacity expanded alongside these investments. Between 2020 and 2025, Morocco established a permanent Directorate for Disaster Risk Management, staffed by 89 people, creating a dedicated government structure capable of coordinating risk reduction across different sectors and levels of administration.

These investments also brought economic benefits. Flood protection, drainage and infrastructure projects generated temporary construction and engineering employment, while stronger protection for cities, agriculture and businesses reduced the longer-term economic disruption that floods and earthquakes can cause.

Financial protection provides support when disaster hits

One of Morocco's most significant changes has been the development of a disaster financing system designed to provide support without waiting for emergency funding to be assembled after an event. By 2025, a new public-private catastrophe insurance system provided coverage for nearly 20 million people. It combines insurance protection with a public solidarity mechanism so that uninsured households can also receive assistance after qualifying disasters.

The importance of having that system ready became clear following the 2023 Al-Haouz earthquake. Morocco's public solidarity fund had mobilized $133 million and went on to disburse $300 million after the earthquake, allowing financial assistance to move rapidly when affected communities needed it.

Morocco prepares for the next generation of risks

Morocco's experience suggests that disaster resilience works best when infrastructure, institutions and financing develop together. Flood barriers and warning systems can reduce physical danger, while a dedicated authority keeps preparedness on the government agenda and financial mechanisms ensure resources are available when prevention cannot eliminate every loss.

The country is now looking to expand flood early-warning coverage, improve the resilience of critical buildings and infrastructure, strengthen preparedness at the local level and make risk information a larger part of urban planning. An ongoing Global Shield grant is supporting further improvements to financial protection against climate-related shocks.

For the World Bank Group, the program has also become a source of lessons beyond Morocco. Its experience shows how sustained investment before a crisis can protect millions of people while creating institutions capable of managing risks over the long term, positioning Morocco as an increasingly important regional example of how disaster policy can shift from rebuilding after catastrophe to preventing losses before they happen.