Recent variations of water area in the Tabular Middle Atlas lakes, Morocco

Abstract The shrinkage of the lake’s water area is considered an indicator of change in climatic parameters and anthropogenic impact on landscapes through changes in land use practices. The present study focuses on utilizing remote sensing data to track the evolution of the water area in three lakes (Aoua, Afourgagh, and Ifrah) located in the Tabular Middle Atlas. The processing of Landsat satellite images between August 1984 and August 2022 reveals a significant shrinkage of the lakes, with drying periods in recent years. The concerning situation of the lakes is attributed to the increased rainfall deficit since the 1980s and the extension of irrigated areas in intramountain depressions. In three decades, the area of irrigated lands has extended by more than 540 %. The results obtained in this study indicate significant variations in the Tabular Middle Atlas lakes and reflect the dramatic situation of water resources.