In the latest Afrobarometer survey, over half of Moroccans who are aware of climate change state that it is worsening life in the country. The survey reveals that ordinary citizens can play a role in limiting climate change, and the government must take immediate action to combat it, even if it incurs significant costs. Moroccans also report an increase in severe droughts over the past decade.
In 2022, Morocco experienced its hottest year in over four decades, and the agricultural season of 2021/2022 was marked as the driest period in meteorological records. To address climate change, the government aims to meet 50% of the country’s electricity demands with renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydropower) by 2030.
Key findings from the survey indicate that 54% of Moroccan adults are aware of climate change. Among those who are informed about it, nearly two-thirds (63%) believe it is making life worse, a 14-percentage-point increase since 2020. A vast majority (75%) of respondents state that ordinary citizens can contribute to curbing climate change, and 64% advocate for immediate government action, even if it may lead to job losses or other economic challenges.
Furthermore, 66% of Moroccans report that droughts have become more severe over the past decade.
Afrobarometer is a non-partisan survey research network that gathers reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. The team in Morocco, led by Global for Survey and Consulting (GSC), conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult Moroccans between 31 August and 19 September 2022, providing country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous Afrobarometer surveys were conducted in Morocco in 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2021.