Water scarcity has become a persistent and deeply disruptive force across North Africa, affecting millions and heightening regional tensions. This crisis is not merely a local concern but also a reflection of the global climate emergency. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified water insecurity as one of the most significant risks associated with the shifting climate, driven primarily by rising global temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and increasingly prolonged and severe droughts. In 2023, unprecedented droughts in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria disrupted agricultural cycles and upended daily life, signs of a climate system in freefall. In North Africa, these risks are more than environmental, they also represent systemic failures that threaten human rights and demand legal clarity, which the African Climate Platform seeks through its petition to the African Court.
During this period, North African countries have faced widespread precipitation deficits, experiencing some of the harshest heatwaves on the continent. These climatic changes have further strained their already vulnerable water systems. Reports reveal that a staggering 83% of the population in North Africa currently faces extreme water stress, a figure that highlights the urgent and impending nature of the crisis. As the demand for water increases due to population growth and economic activities, coupled with the effects of climate change leading to more frequent and intense droughts, reduced rainfall, and soaring temperatures, the prospect of worsening water shortages becomes inevitable. This situation poses significant threats not just to human health but also to economic viability and political stability throughout the region.
The consequences are already spilling into the streets. In 2017, the town of Zagora, Morocco, saw a wave of public protests over severe water shortages. Locals called them “thirst protests,” sparked by the prioritization of water for export-oriented agriculture while drinking water ran dry. Similar uprisings have since occurred in Tunisia and Algeria where citizens expressed their grievances over severe water shortages impacting their daily lives and livelihoods.
The crisis in Morocco has become even more acute as the nation entered its sixth consecutive year of drought in 2024. This alarming trend is epitomized by the critically low water levels in the Al Massira Dam, Morocco’s second-largest reservoir. Since its construction in 1976, the dam has never reached such low levels, currently at less than 6% of its capacity—a stark contrast to nearly 99% full in May 2013. This historic collapse from 99% capacity in 2013 to less than 6% in 2024 symbolizes a region parched by both drought and denial, and underscores the urgent need for effective water management strategies and climate adaptation measures.
The implications of water scarcity extend far beyond individual suffering; they carry significant economic consequences as well. Experts predict that North African countries could face dire economic losses amounting to between 6% and 14% of their GDP by the year 2050 due to water-related challenges exacerbated by climate change. In Morocco, where agriculture stands as a cornerstone of the economy, providing jobs for approximately one-third of the workforce, the drought has had devastating consequences. Since 2023, around 159,000 agricultural workers have lost their jobs, highlighting the interconnectedness of water scarcity, economic health, and social stability.
The dual crises of water scarcity and the resulting “thirst protests” vividly illustrate the pressing and multifaceted challenges facing North Africa. The situation poses a formidable threat to human rights, as access to clean water is fundamentally linked to health, economic opportunity, and social stability. Addressing these interconnected issues requires urgent action and a collaborative approach to foster resilience against the impacts of climate change while safeguarding fundamental human rights.
Recognizing that these impacts are neither isolated nor inevitable, a growing network of civil society organizations across the continent has come together to demand legal clarity and accountability. The African Climate Platform (ACP) is a coalition of more than 50 groups from all five subregions seeking an advisory opinion from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Their petition calls for clear guidance on what African states are obligated to do under human rights law in response to climate-induced harm.
North Africa’s water crisis is one of several emblematic cases anchoring the effort. It highlights
how environmental degradation can deepen inequality and expose the most vulnerable,
particularly those with limited political power, to disproportionate risk. By grounding its legal
strategy in concrete realities like this one, ACP aims to transform urgent warnings into
enforceable rights.