The Imouzzer Kandar plateau, located in the Middle Atlas of Morocco, has experienced significant land use changes over the past decades, characterized by the expansion of agricultural lands and the regression of forests and wetlands. This study aimed to detect these changes and assess their impact on the wetlands of the Imouzzer Kandar plateau. To achieve this, three Landsat satellite images from 1984, 1998, and 2018 were analyzed using the diachronic method, employing a supervised classification with the Nearest Neighbour Classifier within a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. The classification accuracy for the three dates reached 92%, providing reliable and actionable insights. Over the 34-year period, approximately 44% of the study area, equivalent to 32,097 hectares, underwent land use changes. The confusion matrix revealed a substantial increase in agricultural and rangeland areas, coupled with a decrease in forest cover and lake area within the Dayet Aoua watershed. Most wetlands, approximately 152.37 hectares, have been converted into rangeland. The analysis further highlighted the irreversible expansion of agricultural land at the expense of areas of wetlands, with 33.34% of this expansion, about 88.20 hectares, being replaced by water-intensive agriculture.

This study investigates the recurring floods within the Nekor Basin of NE Morocco, a phenomenon dating back to 1944. A multitude of factors has contributed to these recurrent floods, which profoundly affect the northern region encompassing the Nekor Plain. The research primarily investigates the influence of specific weather conditions on the surge of water levels in “Wadi Nekor” and the ensuing consequences when the valley veers from its primary course. The research findings strongly indicate that a significant portion of these flood events can be attributed to “Cut-Off Low” (COL) and atmospheric rivers (ARs), frequently aligning with mean sea level pressure (MSLP) systems located over, or in proximity to, the Moroccan region. This study employs a systematic classification and arrangement methodology for both upper and lower atmospheric levels in analyzing pertinent cases.

Non-precipitating cloud cover plays a significant role in modulating surface temperature by altering solar radiation and longwave heat retention. However, its thermal impacts remain underexplored in Mediterranean mountainous regions. This study investigates the influence of non-precipitating cloud cover on daily and seasonal temperature variability in Chefchaouen, Western Rif, Morocco, over a six-year period (2015–2020). The research classifies non-precipitating cloudy weather into three categories: (1) stable atmospheric conditions, (2) unstable atmospheric conditions, and (3) conditions at the periphery of frontal systems. High-resolution meteorological data, MODIS and NOAA satellite imagery, and synoptic weather maps were employed to analyze cloud-atmosphere interactions. Results reveal that stable cloud cover reduces the diurnal temperature range (DTR) by mitigating daytime heating and enhancing nocturnal warming. In contrast, unstable clouds increase thermal variability due to dynamic atmospheric processes. Seasonal effects were most pronounced in summer and winter, with notable moderation of temperature extremes. The findings highlight the role of synoptic-scale atmospheric structures, including sea-level pressure systems and 500 hPa geopotential height configurations, in shaping temperature variability under non-precipitating cloudy conditions. This study provides critical insights into Mediterranean climate dynamics and emphasizes the importance of integrating cloud-related processes into regional climate models to enhance temperature forecasting accuracy.