No abstract

The present study is focused on analysis of rainfall in the Oued El-Abid watershed, which is characterized by an important potential in water supply of the Bin El Ouidane dam and the recharging groundwater of the plains downstream. The aim of the present research is to characterize the meteorological drought in the Oued El-Abid watershed, located in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region (Central High Atlas, Morocco). The study focused on the analysis of the meteorological drought detection indices such as the deviation from the mean (DM), the rainfall index (RI) and the standardized precipitation index (SPI) based on annual precipitation for the three stations (Tilouguit, Ait Ouchen and Tizi N'Isli) generally experienced alternating periods of surplus and deficit. The results of these indices allowed us to determine the most remarkable and common drought years are: 1981, 1983, 1990, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2017 and 2019. This study is helpful for water resource managers to make decisions and develop tools for adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts.

Soil erosion is a complex phenomenon, which particularly influences water and soil potentials. In the mountainous areas, water erosion phenomenon is accentuated by steep slopes and the degradation of vegetation cover. soil erosion is a worldwide phenomenon threatening the social, environmental and the economic life. In Morocco, fluvial erosion is one of the issues that affects the national territory. The location of Morocco, in the south of Mediterranean region provides remarkable climatic and ecological diversity. Located in the Moroccan High Atlas, El Abid basin belongs to a semi-arid climate. It is characterized by steep slopes and abundant precipitation which gives mountain flows a torrential characteristic. The discharge can reach very important values. Long term hydrological records for El Abid river demonstrate the annual and seasonal variability in discharge with winter and spring periods typically representing 87% of the flow. Soils are increasingly degraded and sediments from erosion contribute to the siltation of Bin Ouidane dam. This siltation is the result of deposits of soil erosion. During flood periods this dam is silted by the sediment transport. This article aims to quantify the rate of fluvial erosion in the upstream section of the Bin El Ouidane dam. Then, to understand the process of river dynamics and its impact on silting issue, through the application of an approach technique based on the realization of several cross profiles, and with a main objective being to compare the results of the river dynamics of the two campaigns during 2016 and 2017. In addition, the measurements taken were supplemented by qualitative observations, particularly during the baseflow of the river, the incision of the bed (or stream), the regressive erosion of the banks, the apparent nature of the substrate, and certain anthropogenic actions.

The OumErRbiabasin is one of the watersheds with the largest number of hydraulic infrastructures in Morocco. These hydraulic structuressupply water for drinking, industrial and agricultural uses. The Ahmed El Hansali dam is a 740 Mm³ reservoir located near Zaouyat Cheikh andhave an active storage of473 Mm³. The succession of dry years in the OumErRbiabasin has had a negative impact on the water resource and has caused a remarkable decrease in the reservoir of the Ahmed el Hansali dam. In this paper, the MNDWI (Modified Normalized Difference Water Index) from Landsat 5-TM, Landsat 7-ETM, and Landsat 8-OLI satellite images was used to estimate the spatial and temporal fluctuations of the volumes of water stored in the reservoir between hydrological years 2002-03 and 2018-19. Results show that the volumes estimated by remote sensing reasonably match the volumes estimated by the OumErRbia Hydraulic Basin Agency (OERHBA)using recorded water levels and reservoir storage curve for years 2002-03 and 2013-14; the determination coefficient R² exceeds 0.90. The mapping of the extent of the dam’s impoundment has shown a very significant decreasein the flooded area level during dry years.

Most of the people infected in Morocco are triggered by the outbreak of COVID-19. The number of affected cases is currently rising day by day. As of July 16th, 2020, In Morocco, 15,165 cases were tested positive for COVID-19, including 239 deaths and 11,417 patients cured the highest number of Corona virus cases reported as Ministry of Health Department in Morocco. The COVID-19 virus threatens the health, economy, development and social life of individuals. The city needs to be conscious of the fight against this epidemic. GIS technology has played an important role in many aspects, including geospatial perception, geostatistical simulation and spatial knowledge enabling decision-making, mitigation and prediction including COVID-19. GIS has evolved reasonably rapidly and has a full technical route for data processing, modeling and map creation. However, in the battle against the popular endemic, the key challenge is to find ways of controlling conventional technological methods and to increase the quality and accuracy of the knowledge provided for social management. As a consequence, IDW and computational approaches are used to forecast potential cases in the region. Prediction of different parameters existing confirmed events, death and recovery of COVID-19. See reports have been used to take proactive measures in order to penetrate regions. The suggested method of understanding is effective within a certain context and would be a valuable tool for both governments and health authorities.