Water as a lever for peace and security: legal and climatic issues in Morocco

Halima Hatat, Université Moulay Ismail (Morocco)

Faced with the intensification of climate change and the worsening of water stress, water management goes beyond the environmental framework to be part of the issues of human security, social stability and conflict prevention, including in Morocco. In contexts of water scarcity, water can constitute both a potential source of tensions and a lever for cooperation depending on the legal and institutional choices adopted, particularly through access regimes to land and water resources. This communication examines the legal governance of water in Morocco to answer the central question: to what extent can public policies and normative instruments prevent socio-economic vulnerabilities and strengthen human security in the face of climate risks? Through a critical and comparative legal approach, it highlights the role of law as a tool for regulation, mediation and prevention of tensions, demonstrating its potential to consolidate peace and cooperation in constrained climatic contexts.