Risk Nexus Morocco floods of 2014: what we can learn from Guelmim and Sidi Ifni Contents Foreword 1 Executive summary 2 Overview 4 Section 1 – Chronology of November 2014 flood events 8 Section 2 – The surveys, interviews, research 13 Section 3 – Public policy under construction 16 Section 4 – Insights 19 Section 5 – Recommendations 22 Section 6 – Conclusions and global context 25 Interviews and acknowledgments 27 Cover: An inlet and nearby harbour at Sidi Ifni (photographer: Getty Images/Michael Fay). Morocco floods of 2014: what we can learn from Guelmim and Sidi Ifni Foreword There is a saying that more people drown in the desert than die of thirst. Inhabitants of the arid regions of Morocco know this all too well. Morocco has experienced no fewer than 35 floods over the years from 1951 to 2015. Flash floods can fill dry stream beds, ‘oueds’ or ‘wadis,’ very rapidly, often taking a heavy toll in terms of human life. Floods also wreak havoc on property and destroy infrastructure, leaving a legacy of misery for those living in affected regions. Floods are nothing new for Morocco, increasing communities’ resilience. It is where traditionally floodwaters were not always easy to learn from events, welcomed as a source of essential but it is a key element that can be irrigation for crops. But in recent achieved through the right processes. years, rapid population growth and Dirk de Nil, The findings presented here build on CEO Zurich Morocco urbanization have put more people and similar research in other countries, vital infrastructure at risk. The impact where communities regularly face flood of weather extremes and other factors risks. We believe these post event review have also created real challenges to capability, or ‘PERC,’ studies, can provide those seeking to come to grips with a valuable basis for taking the first, ways to enhance flood resilience in critical steps toward enhancing resilience. the region. We want to share what has worked well This study focuses on the impact of so others can profit from it, but also extreme floods in Sidi Ifni and Guelmim, what has not worked so well, was two regions in southwestern Morocco, underestimated, forgotten or what has in November 2014. We gained invaluable failed so it can be done better next time. insights from extensive interviews with We encourage anyone in Morocco and those directly involved, including beyond to conduct such research in the residents and local administrators, and future, and to benefit from implementing officials who directed response at the such an approach and the subsequent national, district and local levels. lessons learned. We would especially like to acknowledge Zurich’s flood resilience alliance brings the efforts and contributions of time together organizations with and knowledge by several individuals complementary skills and expertise to at Targa-AIDE, a non-governmental find the best solutions to address flood organization based in Morocco. risk. This helps to provide a basis for Without their dedicated efforts and long-term resilience, saving more lives painstaking research, this study would and mitigating the damage floods cause. Professor Abdeslam Dahman Saidi, not have been possible. We believe that working together, we Secretary General of Targa-AIDE Morocco can make a difference to mitigate the Floods, no matter where they occur, impact of floods, which affect more often share similar traits, so the people each year – often the poorest knowledge we gain by studying one people and communities – than any flood event can be applied to different other natural catastrophes. locations. Learning is essential for Morocco floods of 2014: what we can learn from Guelmim and Sidi Ifni 1 Executive summary Morocco has experienced no fewer than This paper examines in detail events over 35 floods over the years from 1951 to two periods, from November 20-24, 2015. Traditionally, floodwaters have and November 25-30, 2014 based on provided irrigation in arid regions. But as information collected through surveys infrastructure has been built up and the and interviews by Targa-AIDE; its populations have increased, floods have research included surveying individuals, become a menace and local knowledge interviewing officials involved in response to handle the situation has been lost, and recovery, and other efforts to gain as a deadly flood in November 2014 insights on the situation leading up the in Morocco’s southern region all too floods, the disaster as it unfolded, and clearly showed. the aftermath. The findings offer insights on how to improve the area’s The November 2014 flood is the subject resilience and reduce its vulnerability. of a study published by Zurich Insurance Group produced as part of its flood Flooding and response is examined in resilience alliance,1 based on research particular in two towns, Guelmim and carried out by Targa-AIDE, a Sidi Ifni. Guelmim was hardest-hit by the non-governmental organization based first phase of floods, and experienced in Morocco. The insights gained from over 30 deaths. Alerted by the tragedy the study are valuable not only for in Guelmim, authorities in Sidi Ifni, Morocco. The findings can also contribute where floods struck with fury in the to efforts in other countries to improve second weather phase, had time to take flood resilience. steps that likely averted casualties. Even so, that region suffered heavy damage Morocco provides an example of how to critical infrastructure that still affects the world is changing and the impact the lives of people living there. this is having on flood risk. As the country urbanizes, those floods once so important The study discusses ways that the for irrigation have become a threat Moroccan government is working to to the populations living in arid and improve its procedures and be more semi-arid regions, where ‘oueds’ or effective in terms of disaster response. ‘wadis’, the typical dry channels, can More funding is being allocated that swiftly become raging torrents. should contribute to efforts to find solutions. For example, Morocco’s The floods that are the subject of the government has set up a disaster fund, study had devastating consequences the CAS-FLCN (Fonds de Lutte Contre in two regions in southern Morocco: les effets des catastrophes Naturelles), to 47 people lost their lives, and countless deal with natural hazards. The fund aims others suffered long-term consequences, to co-finance projects to better protect both material and psychological, due vulnerable people and properties at risk. to damages to homes and critical It also seeks to make the country more infrastructure and support networks. resilient to disasters. Floodwaters knocked out communication lines and destroyed water and sewage systems. Months after the floods, the damage still affects peoples’ lives and well-being. 1For more on Zurich’s flood resilience alliance, see: www.zurich.com/en/corporate-responsibility/ flood-resilience 2 Morocco floods of 2014: what we can learn from Guelmim and Sidi Ifni Importantly as well, prior to these Beyond that, improving data, flood maps, floods, there had been little focus in weather forecasting and disaster protocols Morocco on long-term risk prevention would represent significant contributions and mitigation. Most of the efforts dealt in efforts to increase resilience. instead with responding once an event Besides Morocco, other countries need had already taken place. Among the to increase flood resilience. Among the insights gained as part of this study, the requirements is an open mindset to events of November 2014 may have address the root causes of floods. contributed to a change in mindset in Accessing the ‘Five Cs’2 – five types the country, leading it to place more of capitals that communities can draw emphasis on mitigating risks, rather than on – will better enable them to cope responding to a crisis once it happens. with floods and improve resilience. The study includes recommendations Any approach will require new thinking, to increase flood resilience: One and a willingness to address the root urgently-needed way to address the causes of problems. A mindset open to risks would be to install early warning change is needed. systems in Morocco’s southern region. As part of Zurich’s flood resilience program, the post event review capability (PERC) provides research and independent reviews of large flood events. It seeks to answer questions related to aspects of flood resilience, flood risk management and catastrophe intervention. It looks at what has worked well (identifying best practice) and opportunities for further improvements. PERC analyses use a combination of two complementary conceptual frameworks: the ISET Climate Resilience Framework (http://training.i-s-e-t.org) and the Zurich flood resilience alliance framework (https://www.zurich.com/ en/corporate-responsibility/flood-resilience). 2The ‘Five Cs’ or ‘Five Capitals’ refer to five core asset categories that can be drawn on to improve the lives of people living in communities: human capital, natural capital, financial capital, physical capital, and social capital. A key part of the work the flood resilience alliance does with communities involves measuring resilience. This helps to establish whether actions to increase resilience are effective. For more, see ‘Enhancing community flood resilience: a way forward’ at http://knowledge.zurich.com/flood-resilience/ risk-nexus-enhancing-community-flood-resilience- a-way-forward/ Morocco floods of 2014: what we can learn from Guelmim and Sidi Ifni 3 Overview Although often thought of as semi-arid, Morocco is a country where floods are common (see Figure 1). Traditionally floods The floods had dire consequences: were considered to be a beneficial source of crop irrigation. 47 people died in the southern But as the country develops and the population, particularly provinces, and losses totaled over in urban centers, grows, floods have come to constitute a 6 billion dirham. Roads were cut recurring hazard.