Kingdom of Morocco Ministry of Energy, Mines, Ministry of Interior Water and Environment Region of Oriental Department of Environment Regional Observatory of Environment and Sustainable Development STATE AND FUTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE ORIENTAL REGION Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment Department of Environment National Environmental Observatory of Morocco Adress : 9, Al Araar street, Sector 16, Hay Riyad, Rabat Phone : +212 (0) 5 37 57 66 41 Fax : +212 (0) 5 37 57 66 42 www.environnement.gov.ma Regional Observatory of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Oriental Region Adress : Siège du Conseil Régional, Bd, le Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan , Oujda Phone : +212 (0) 5 36 52 48 70 SYNTHESIS REPORT FOR DECISION MAKERS Fax : +212 (0) 5 36 52 48 64 2013 Table of Contents THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT, 06 01 A DECISION-MAKING TOOL 1.1 WHY THE NEED FOR A REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATED 06 ASSESSMENT? 1.2 A CONSULTATIVE AND PARTICIPATIVE APPROACH 06 A REGION WITH STRONG POTENTIAL, BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT 07 02 SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 2.1 A PREDOMINANTLY URBAN REGION 07 2.2 AN EMERGING ECONOMIC REGION 08 2.2.1 INDUSTRY 08 2.2.2 TRADING 09 2.2.3 AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK 09 2.2.4 TOURISM 09 2.2.5 CRAFTMANSHIP 10 2.2.6 MINNING AND QUARRYING ACTIVITIES 10 2.2.7 SEA FISHING 11 2.2.8 TRANSPORTATION 11 03 ENVIRONMENTAL STATE AND TRENDS OF THE REGION 12 3.1 THE WORRYING FATE OF WATER RESSOURCES 12 3.1.1 QUANTITATIVE TERMS 12 3.1.2 QUALITATIVE TERMS 13 3.2 WASTEWATER SANITATION, AN ONGOING MANAGEMENT 14 3.3 SOLID WASTE, A PERSISTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 15 3.4 AIR QUALITY, A PRESSURE TO FOLLOW 15 3.5 SHORELINE, AN IMPLMENTATION SITE THREATNED AND POORLY PROTECTED 15 3.6 PRESERVING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY 15 3.6.1 NATURAL FOREST AND PRE-FOREST ECOSYSTEMS 16 3.6.2 STEPPES, PRE STEPPES AND SAHARAN ECOSYSTEMS 16 3.6.3 WETLANDS 16 3.7 NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS 16 3.7.1 NATURAL RISKS 16 3.7.2 RISING TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES 18 4 FUTUR PROSPECTS WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL 19 04 ACTION PLAN 4.1 FIRST FOCUS AREA : IMPROVING THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT 19 4.2 SECOND FOCUS AREA: REDUCING THE URBAN PRESSURE 19 4.3 THIRD FOCUS AREA: WATER RESOURCES PROTECTION 19 4.4 FOURTH FOCUS : IMPROVING FARMING PRACTICES 20 4.5 FIFTH FOCUS AREA : IMPROVING WASTE MANAGEMENT 20 4.6 SIXTH FOCUS AREA: SOIL AND BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION 20 4.7 SEVENTH FOCUS AREA : LITTORAL SUISTAINABLE MANAGMENT 20 4.8 EIGHTH FOCUS AREA : RISKS CONTROL 21 4.9 NINTH FOCUS AREA : GOVERNANCE 21 4.10 TENTH FOCUS AREA : ECDUCATION AND AWARNESS 21 CONCLUSION 22 ANNEXES 24 REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS 24 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 25 BIBLIOGRAPHIE 26 LIST OF FIGURES 27 LIST OF FIGURES 27 5 1 - THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT, A DECISION-MAKING TOOL 1.1 - WHY THE NEED FOR A REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT? Morocco determination is to implement a policy that will guarantee better environmental protection and a sustainable development as a national priority, with an upgrading strategy based specifically on the integration of the environmental approach in the development plans and programs. In this context, a legal and regulatory framework of protection as well as an enhancement focused on the importance of the environment, which combines both the imperative necessity of preserving the environment and the socioeconomic development, has been set up. This determination was solidified by his Majesty King Mohammed VI in his message to the 3rd Islamic Conference of Environmental Ministers participants, held in Rabat on the 29th of October 2008, where His Majesty emphasized the concept of local environment. Since 2009, the Crown’s position on the matter has given a new momentum to the environment preservation dynamic for the elaboration and the implementation of the National Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development (NCESD). On the 14th April 2009, outline agreements were also signed in the presence of his Majesty King Mohammed VI between 1.2 - A CONSULTATIVE AND PARTICIPATIVE the Government and all of the Kingdom’s regions, for the completion of the projects related to both the water and APPROACH environmental sectors. The Oriental region Environmental Integrated Assessment The implementation of the Regional Observatories of the (EIA) was based on a process of cross-sectorial concentration Environment and Sustainable Development (ROESD) has and a participatory approach that made including the strengthened the concept of local environment as an decision-makers and local actors possible. The goal was to environmental monitoring tool to assist each region. These start a regular follow-up on the environment state by setting observatories’ main missions are the constant supervision up a regional network responsible for the identification of of the state of the environment both local and regional, the the environmental issues, the gathering of data and indicators, managing of environmental information, and the development and the providing of priority actions that can reduce the of instruments to help in the decision-making on a local environmental impacts related to the pressures created by and regional scale. the economic activities and human behavior. In this framework, an Integrated Environmental Assessment This participatory assessment takes stoke of the region’s (IEA) study was conducted on the Oriental region. The environmental condition by applying the DPSIR model goal of the study is to give the decision-makers and (D: Driving forces; P: Pressures; S: State; I: Impacts; the general public a reference tool which can pinpoint R: Responses). This modeling framework analyses each the region’s environmental situation, its evolution in time, sector of activity and each environmental component in the sources behind the generated pressures, the major a chain-like process that evaluates the driving forces, the environmental issues, and to identify priority actions that pressures, the state, and the impacts in order to gauge the can decrease the environmental impacts related to sectoral effectiveness of responses put into place. The final aim is policies and human behavior. to determine an appropriate strategic vision. 6 2 - A REGION WITH STRONG POTENTIAL, BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 2.1 - A PREDOMINANTLY URBAN REGION The Oriental region covers an area of 82,820 km2, equivalent to 11.6% of Moroccan territory. It is the second largest region of Morocco in terms of area. The Region is administratively consists of a prefecture Oujda - Angad and 6 provinces Jerada Berkane, Taourirt, Figuig, Nador and Driouch (created in 2009). The population of the Oriental region amount to 1,918,094 inhabitants according to the 2004 census, of which 61.6% live in urban areas, which represents a higher urbanization rate than the national rate of 55.1%. In 2010 the population was estimated by the HCP to 1,999,950 people, corresponding to a population concentration of 24.1 inhab./km². Moreover, the region which holds 11.60% of the Moroccan area of the Kingdo, is home to only 7.2% of the national population. This reflects the low level of human density. It is about 24 inhab./km², at the regional level, against 42 at national level. Yet, the differences are large within the region : Oujda-Angad (292.3), Berkane (142.1), Nador (122.5) Taourirt (25.5) Jerada (13.1) and Figuig (2.3). The population is concentrated in the provinces of Nador, Berkane, and Oujda Angad prefecture, which cover less According to the HCP, the poverty rate in 2004 reached than 12% of the region but concentrates almost 77% of 13.8% in urban areas, 24.8% in rural areas, wich correspond the population. to an average of 17.9%, instead of the respective national The urbanization rate at the regional level, according to rate of 7.9%, 22% and 14.2%, placing the region in the 5th the census of the Moroccan population in 2004 is approxi- row of Morocco’s poorest regions. mately about 61.7%, higher than the national level which On the cultural aspect, the region has historical monuments is 55.1%. In 1994, the regional urbanization rate was still such as Kasbas (Saidia, Laayoune, Taourirt and Debdou), higher than that recorded at the nation level (55.2% against the Walls of Oujda, the Old Mosque, the City of Figuig with 51.4%), reflecting a higher urbanization rate than the its Ksours, archaeological sites whith the discovery of the national average. The HCP projections show that this rate “Man of Tafoughalt”, Folklore, the Gharnatie music and increases even to measure 65.5% in 2010 and 68.4% in popular songs, handicraft jobs specific to the region such 2014. This rate will be 72.8% in 2020. as Mejboud (embroidery with gold thread), Oriental carpet, the bunting, etc. The urbanization rate has however significant differences At the health level, the area is one of the pioneering regions between provinces and prefectures. It ranges from 20.2% in terms of regionalization of the health sector because it at the province of Drouich and 86.1% at the prefecture of has, since 2006, the first Moroccan Regional Health Directorate Oujda Angad in 2004 and respectively between 21.1% and (RHD). It has 152 health centers, 163 dental surgeons, 22 90.2% for 2010. medical laboratories, 13 radiology practices, 644 phar- The illiteracy rate is similar to that of Morocco, slightly macies and a hospital total capacity of about 2039 beds higher in urban areas, which represents 43%, 33% in urban for a population of almost two million, thus one bed for 977 areas and 60% in rural areas. persons. The medical rate framing remains low since the In rural areas, the women are illiterate to almost 73%, than Oriental has only 878 doctors (2009), nearly 2235 inhab./ those of urban areas which are 43%.