Morocco floods of 2014: what we can learn from Guelmim and Sidi Ifni

It doesn’t rain often in the desert, but when it does, the danger can be extreme. A Zurich study reviews what can be learned from devastating floods in Morocco in 2014, based on research led by a group of experts in that country. What is learned from Morocco’s floods could be invaluable not just for a country undergoing rapid change. Many of the lessons learned can be applied anywhere floods pose a major risk. The paper notes that there is a saying, ‘more people drown in the desert than die of thirst.’ But if flood resiliency can be improved, this need not be the case.