230
zones, hence worsening the desertification phenomenon and impacting water resources.
With agriculture still largely dominated by rainfed crops and therefore dependent on rainfall,
vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is real. With the increasing needs of the population and industries, these vulnerabilities will go increasing while climate change will exacerbate the ecological footprint of activities.
2
Morocco has recently come up with a range of high-level documents and policies
aimed at enabling and encouraging climate resilient development.
3
Because it is
particularly exposed to the risks associated with climate change, Morocco’s national
vision, as stated in the INDC—Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, aims
to mitigate its effects by endeavoring to “preserve its territory and civilization in the
most appropriate manner, effectively responding to the vulnerabilities of its territory
and implementing an adaptation policy that builds resilience for all of its population
and its economic actors to face these vulnerabilities” (INDC 2015). In line with the
concept of sustainable development, it reinforces the point that there needs not be a
trade-off between environmental sustainability and economic development.
This is the policy framework that inspired the development of a platform for
international cooperation on sustainability in drylands to be located in Agadir,
Morocco, principally led by Ibn Zohr University. Bearing in mind the relevance of
North–South, South–South, and triangular regional and international cooperation,
this platform, focusing on the study of the arid and semiarid regions, is a welcome
complement to the emerging framework of international cooperation. Further,
Morocco anticipates a strategic stake in its Souss-Massa
4
region and the city of
Agadir will stimulate policy-driven research in the Sahelian countries and open the
avenue towards collaboration with emerging countries in Latin America—like
2 Hakima El Haité, Former Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and
Environment, in charge of Environment.
3 The new Constitution (2011) promotes sustainable economic development, in the spirit of environmental protection. Moreover, the National Charter for Environment and Sustainable
Development (Charte Nationale de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable 2009) enacted
through the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) for 2017–2030 also focuses
on climate resilient development strategies. In 2014, Morocco developed its National Climate
Change Policy (MCCP) as a coordination tool for measures and initiatives on climate change,
providing an operational framework for the development of medium- and long-term strategies. In
2015, Morocco submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) presented to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in perspective of the
COP21 held in Paris (2015). The main objective identified by the Moroccan authorities has been
to make the “territory and civilization more resilient to climate change while ensuring a climate
transition to a low-carbon economy” (INDC 2015).
4 In the Souss-Massa region, located in southwestern Morocco, three factors determine its semiarid
Mediterranean climate, namely relief, ocean coast, and the Sahara. Thus, the north of the region,
dominated by Atlas, is characterized by a semiarid to humid climate progressing towards the plain.
The latter, which occupies the sunken relief of the Atlas and the basins of Souss and Massa, has an
arid climate despite a wide opening on the Atlantic. Finally, the southern and southeastern part of
the region that makes up the north side is covered by the Sahara Desert climate. The precipitations
are highly variable in space and time with a rainfall average of 200 mm/year (Bouragba et al. 2011;
Seif-Ennasr et al. 2017).
A. Rizzo et al.
zones, hence worsening the desertification phenomenon and impacting water resources.
With agriculture still largely dominated by rainfed crops and therefore dependent on rainfall,
vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is real. With the increasing needs of the population and industries, these vulnerabilities will go increasing while climate change will exacerbate the ecological footprint of activities.
2
Morocco has recently come up with a range of high-level documents and policies
aimed at enabling and encouraging climate resilient development.
3
Because it is
particularly exposed to the risks associated with climate change, Morocco’s national
vision, as stated in the INDC—Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, aims
to mitigate its effects by endeavoring to “preserve its territory and civilization in the
most appropriate manner, effectively responding to the vulnerabilities of its territory
and implementing an adaptation policy that builds resilience for all of its population
and its economic actors to face these vulnerabilities” (INDC 2015). In line with the
concept of sustainable development, it reinforces the point that there needs not be a
trade-off between environmental sustainability and economic development.
This is the policy framework that inspired the development of a platform for
international cooperation on sustainability in drylands to be located in Agadir,
Morocco, principally led by Ibn Zohr University. Bearing in mind the relevance of
North–South, South–South, and triangular regional and international cooperation,
this platform, focusing on the study of the arid and semiarid regions, is a welcome
complement to the emerging framework of international cooperation. Further,
Morocco anticipates a strategic stake in its Souss-Massa
4
region and the city of
Agadir will stimulate policy-driven research in the Sahelian countries and open the
avenue towards collaboration with emerging countries in Latin America—like
2 Hakima El Haité, Former Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and
Environment, in charge of Environment.
3 The new Constitution (2011) promotes sustainable economic development, in the spirit of environmental protection. Moreover, the National Charter for Environment and Sustainable
Development (Charte Nationale de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable 2009) enacted
through the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) for 2017–2030 also focuses
on climate resilient development strategies. In 2014, Morocco developed its National Climate
Change Policy (MCCP) as a coordination tool for measures and initiatives on climate change,
providing an operational framework for the development of medium- and long-term strategies. In
2015, Morocco submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) presented to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in perspective of the
COP21 held in Paris (2015). The main objective identified by the Moroccan authorities has been
to make the “territory and civilization more resilient to climate change while ensuring a climate
transition to a low-carbon economy” (INDC 2015).
4 In the Souss-Massa region, located in southwestern Morocco, three factors determine its semiarid
Mediterranean climate, namely relief, ocean coast, and the Sahara. Thus, the north of the region,
dominated by Atlas, is characterized by a semiarid to humid climate progressing towards the plain.
The latter, which occupies the sunken relief of the Atlas and the basins of Souss and Massa, has an
arid climate despite a wide opening on the Atlantic. Finally, the southern and southeastern part of
the region that makes up the north side is covered by the Sahara Desert climate. The precipitations
are highly variable in space and time with a rainfall average of 200 mm/year (Bouragba et al. 2011;
Seif-Ennasr et al. 2017).
A. Rizzo et al.