Unprecedented rainfall in the Sahara Desert has resulted in rare, temporary lagoons in southeastern Morocco, a phenomenon unseen for decades. Towns like Merzouga, Tata, and Tagounite received downpours surpassing typical annual rainfall, transforming sand dunes into reflective blue lagoons.
This unexpected event has helped replenish groundwater levels and partially filled long-dry lake beds, such as Lake Iriqui, which had not held water for over 50 years. The rainfall, attributed to an extratropical storm, could signal shifting climate patterns for the Sahara by increasing atmospheric moisture, potentially leading to more frequent storms in the future.
The Sahara, as one of Earth’s most arid, barren landscapes, typically receives at most 3 inches of rainfall once a year. However, Tagounite, a desert town in the Zagora province of Southeast Morocco, received over 3.9 inches of rainfall in 24 hours on 10 October 2024. The floods have led to casualties, crop losses, and damage to infrastructure across affected towns. These impacts have forced Morocco to release emergency relief, especially for rural areas already facing drought and water scarcity due to droughts.
This downpour is well beyond the annual rainfall for many other local areas and is considered rare in these regions. Parts of southeast Morocco have received intense rain over the past two months after a low-pressure system prevailed across the northwestern Sahara. Data released by NASA showed nearly 8 inches of rain in some parts of the world’s largest non-polar desert.
Torrential rains have provided temporary relief to farmers and residents alike, considering large parts of Morocco have been suffering from droughts for six consecutive years. Farmers had had to leave fields uncultivated to restore fertility and Moroccans had been forced to ration water in their cities and villages.
Despite the torrential rains in September filling groundwater aquifers relied upon by local communities for water and reservoirs at rapid rates, temporarily benefiting local ecosystems, the long-term drought alleviation potential remains uncertain.
The rains have also resulted in the revival of some of its driest regions with an abundance of moisture not seen in decades, giving rise to more plant life and biodiversity. As reported by Morocco World News, geography researcher Adil Moumane celebrates “an entire ecosystem … being resurrected,” with anticipation of migratory birds returning and crustaceans reappearing, such as the Triops which is regarded as one of the oldest living species on Earth.
While this rare sight of striking blue lagoons has attracted tourists and provided short-term relief to drought-stricken areas, the rains have caused significant regional challenges. According to The Hindu, flooding in Morocco and Algeria led to over 20 fatalities and damaged crops, accelerating the need for emergency relief.
According to Karsten Haustein, a climate researcher at Leipzig University in Germany, a warming world owing to fossil fuel pollution is an indirect cause of this catastrophic flooding. In the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the permanent low-pressure belt in the equatorial region responsible for precipitation in Africa has been shifting northward since mid-July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center.
“The Intertropical Convergence Zone, which is the reason for (Africa’s) greening, moves farther north the warmer the world gets,” Haustein explained while speaking to CNN.
This abnormal northward shift of the ITCZ has set off anomalous weather patterns and climatic conditions. Countries that should be getting more rainfall are getting less as storms shift north. Parts of Nigeria and Cameroon that typically get drenched with at least 20 to 30 inches of rain from July to September have only received between 50 and 80% of their typical rain. On the other hand, farther north African countries like Algeria and Morocco that have traditionally seen lesser rainfall have fallen prey to devastating flooding.
While the torrential rains have come as a relief to many farmers, research conducted by scientists at the University of Southern California has emphasised floods as the main threat for the desert, in the coming years, rather than droughts. The effects of Saharan floods are significant, impacting soil composition and wildlife in the region. Landscapes destroyed or altered via floods may also disrupt the migratory patterns of animals that inhabit the desert sands. Therefore, plans must be devised to mitigate the impact of flooding in the Sahara.
Erratic rainfall, increasing global temperatures, and altering atmospheric dynamics serve as a stark reminder for scientists that climate change creates increasingly tangible and long-lasting impacts on various ecosystems. The desert ecosystem, adapted to survive in low-moisture and hot climates, no longer grants longevity and economic sustainability to its inhabitants or its surrounding communities as it once did, as a result of increasing flooding.
While the new lagoons revive dry and barren land, giving way to life in the region, it highlights scientists’ concerns about rapidly changing climate patterns. Climate adaptability is one of the greatest challenges faced by people, plants and animals alike. As desert environments experience the increasing presence of water, not only does the ecosystem bear the brunt, but so does the economic resilience of the Saharan communities.
Proactive measures to ensure such climate adaptability, along with flood mitigation plans and climate models must be devised by countries for the future of the Sahara and the Saharan peoples, which is increasingly at stake as scientists predict frequent flooding and deluge as a prominent climate threat.
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