Status and future of the environment in the Region TAZA-AL HOCEIMA-TAOUNATE 2015 SYNTHESIS REPORT FOR DECISION MAKERS TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: A TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING 5 1.1. The importance of an integrated environmental evaluation at the regional level 5 1.2- An approach based on a process of mutual consultation and participation 6 2. TAZA-AL-HOCEIMA-TAOUNATE: A REGION WITH A SIGNIFICANT NATURAL POTENTIAL BUT LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH 7 3. MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES IN THE REGION 12 4. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS OF THE REGION: CONDITIONS AND TRENDS 13 4.1. WATER: an abundant resource but threatened 13 4.2. SOIL: bare soil exposed to intense water erosion 17 4.3. COASTLINE: an enclosed area exposed to pollution, uncontrolled urbanization, and overexploited 20 fisheries resources 4.4. NATURAL RISKS: a real threat and origin to diverse natural hazards 22 5. FUTURE PROSPECTS 25 PART 1: Action against land degradation 25 PART 2: Safeguarding biodiversity 26 PART 3: Integrated water resources management 28 PART 4: Integrated coastal zone management of Al Hoceima province 30 PART 5: Upgrading major natural hazards 31 PART 6: Upgrading environmental sectors 33 PART 7: Managing air pollution 34 TRANSVERSAL ACTIONS 34 GENERAL CONCLUSION 35 SYNTHESIS REPORT FOR DECISION MAKERS 1. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: A TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING 1.1. The importance of an integrated environmental evaluation at the regional level Morocco is experimenting environmental transition context that the Department of the Environment phase along with its demographic and economic has undertaken an environmental outreach strategy transition phases. The challenges that Morocco based on regionalization and whose objectives is facing, coupled with nature and wideness of the are the identification of strengths, constraints and environmental issues reached such level in some environmental problems across all regions of localities that they might compromise a big part of Morocco taking into account their socio-economic the economic and social efforts of the last decade, dynamics, their priorities and available resources. as well as limit the well-being opportunity for This strategy is based on a new Thus, several generations to come. framework agreements were signed by His Majesty the King on April 14, 2009, between the Government This issue of environment degradation is very crucial and all regions of the Kingdom, to achieve integrated for Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region. During these into environmental projects. past decades, the region has witnessed a significant development in several sectors including agriculture, It is within this framework that we developed a study development of road and touristic infrastructure, on integrated assessment of the environment, in fishing and urbanization. This socio-economic the Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate region. the aim of dynamics had significant impacts on the ecological this study is to make available to decision makers and environmental capital of the region particularly and the general public two reports : the first report related to a deficiency of conservation measures and «State of the Regional Environment» as a reference protection of natural resources. tool highlighting the environmental situation in the region, its evolution Over time, the source of The new challenges of Morocco consist thereby of generated pressures, the major environmental issues implementing necessary actions to influence trends and the second report «Future of the Environment in of environmental degradation, taking into account the Region» as a suggested action plan to provide the imperatives of economic development-related to the necessary responses and take greater account globalization and national and regional conditions. of environmental concerns into sectoral and In the light of this observation, and to catch up in terms territorial policies and to put the region on the path of of environmental conservation, a national strategy sustainable development. for environmental upgrading was implemented then declined in all regions of the country. It is in this P.5 P.6 1.2. An approach based on a process of mutual consultation and participation This study was based on a participatory approach based on the selection of a list of data and indicators involving all relevant stakeholders at the regional available, reliable, and relevant; in order to have level. It has mobilized the skills and expertise of more proper integration in database, and the third step than 200 employees from various backgrounds: the consisted of the prioritization of environmental regional governments, local authorities, government issues and consultation on a regional action plan. entities, universities and research centers, consultants In order to achieve the planned objectives, this and civil society. This approach helped to launch study was based on the DPSIR approach (D: Driving a process of intersectoral dialogue to establish a Forces, P: Pressure, S: State I: Impacts, R response). regular monitoring of the state of the environment This approach is based on causal links between the within the framework of a network designed to interacting components of social, economic and identify environmental issues and priority actions environmental systems. It structures the information required for minimizing environmental degradation in order to identify the causes of environmental related to social and economic impact and human problems and their impact and to evaluate the behavior. responses made on the national and regional The first step of this process consisted in the public policies. consultation for the collection of existing data and indicators among partners. The second step was CIRCUIT DIAGRAM DPSIR DRIVING FORCES (D) PRESSURES (P) Activities that cause pressure on GIVE RISE TO The direct effects on the environment resources and natural environments Extracting natural resources Discharge of pollutants Agriculture, industry, demography, (emissions to air, water, waste, ...) TO INFLUENCE ACT REDUCE CHANGE RESPONSES (R) STATE (S) Responses to preserve and restore RESTORE Degradation of the state of the environment INFLUENCE the environment trends Quantity available water laws, strategies, programs Air quality, water, soil, biodiversity REDUCE MITIGATE PRODUCE STIMULATE IMPACTS (I) GIVE RISE TO Impacts on human health, economy and environment STATUS AND FUTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE REGION TAZA-AL HOCEIMA-TAOUNATE SYNTHESIS REPORT FOR DECISION MAKERS 2. TAZA-AL HOCEIMA TAOUNATE: A REGION WITH A SIGNIFICANT NATURAL POTENTIAL BUT LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH The region of Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate is located in the north of the country, largely in the Rif region. It covers an area of 23 548 Km2 or 3,31 % of the total surface of the kingdom. The Region is made up of four provinces that are the province of Al Hoceima the administrative center, the province of Taounate, the province of Taza and the province of Guercif created in 2009. It is composed of 14 circles, 15 municipalities and 118 rural communes. Map 1 Administrative division of the TAT region P.7 P.8 The region is a bridge between the Rif with its within the Region make important differences in coastline and mountains on the one hand, and the rainfall between the high areas including the Atlas Pre-Rif, the Middle Atlas, the corridor of Fez-Taza and and Rif where the average rainfall varies between the steppe zone on the other hand. This landform 600 and 800 mm/year and the alfa areas and the diversity is marked by four major zones that are the plains of “the Average Moulouya” where averages Rif space, the Pre-Rif space, the Atlas mountain range are less than 300 mm/year. and the semi-desert plateau of Guercif. Demographically, the region has a population of The region is characterized by the Mediterranean 1807036 inhabitants (RGPH 2014) or more than climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet 5.34% of the Moroccan population, with an average winters. However, some Rif areas undergo difficult growth rate of 0.01% (lower than that recorded in mountainous climatic conditions especially during nationwide 1.25%). the winter when snow is recurrent. The average temperature varies in winter between 2 ° C and 18 ° C with minimal -4C ° in January in the summer it varies between 18 ° C and 25 ° C with a maximum of 43 ° C in August. Geographical disparities Map 2 Spatial distribution of the regional population STATUS AND FUTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE REGION TAZA-AL HOCEIMA-TAOUNATE SYNTHESIS REPORT FOR DECISION MAKERS The population distribution between the provinces The other social indicators which relate to the highlights a gap in terms of number of inhabitants medical field and health facilities are as alarming between on one side the two provinces of Taounate as those concerning education. The bed capacity and Taza, and on the other side, the provinces of Al of the Region’s hospitals is barely 859 beds, while Hoceima and Guercif. This particular gap shows the the average medical supervision is 1 doctor for 5799 low population density in Guercif. The number of inhabitants. Finally, maternal mortality rate, which is households increased by 33.14% in TAT region, from an important social indicator, is very high throughout 267 481 in 1994 to 356 119 in 2014. Meanwhile, the the country -to the same ranking across northern distribution of the population by place of residence Africa, just behind Mauritania. This rate was about emphasizes its strong rurality since 2014, only 28.9% 227 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2009. of the population is urban. In economic terms, the regional GDP was 25 040 The age structure of the population draws an almost million dirhams in 2012, which represents only perfect pyramid with the predominance of the age 3% of national GDP. This regional GDP is marked group between 15 and 59 years. The predominance of by a predominance of agriculture as the primary the age range of workforce is unfortunately affected economic activity, facing a very weak industrial fabric by poverty.