Prepared by – Suzanne Abou Said Daou With more than 60.000 inhabitants Ouarzazate, or “the door of the desert”, is a city in the Southern of Morocco and one of the major tourism hubs. However, its location on a bare plateau in the High Atlas Mountains makes it vulnerable to desertification and desert storms. These affect the local communities by deteriorating their living conditions and accelerating land degradation and loss of biodiversity. Ouarzazate is combating these threats by building a greenbelt of trees, irrigated by treated wastewater. At the same time, it harnesses the energy of the Sun by constructing North Africa’s largest solar energy plant. Once completed in 2019, the Noor-Ouarzazate solar power plant will contribute 18 per cent to Morocco’s annual electricity generation. It will save the country 1 million tons of oil and prevent the emission of 3.7 million tons of CO2. The plant is part of Morocco’s ambitious Solar Energy Program, which will see 5 solar power projects, spread over 10,000 hectares, built by 2020. Ourzazate has taken another historic stride in combating desertification based upon the immense success of this pilot project initiated in 2012. To mitigate these environmental challenges, Morocco, with the support of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Korea Forest Service (KFS); the city has launched the second phase of a project by establishing a greenbelt of trees around Ourzazate, and greening the surrounding dry lands, using treated wastewater and clean energy irrigation. And under the Global Wastewater Initiative (GW2I) program, which has been at the forefront in seeking to change the mindset that wastewater can only be viewed as a problem and encouraging safe reuse of wastewater for agricultural purposes. Dr. Abdeladim Lhafi, High commissioner for Water, Forestry and Desertification Control said: “This project includes the main pillars required for sustainable development. In addition to its environmental dimension, the project gives local population the opportunity to participate in the development of the region. The project has not only succeeded technically, but also managed to engage all key partners. It makes them feel responsible for its success and sustainability.” “This project has created jobs for us and opportunities to use our knowledge and experience. There was a time when trees were dying. Nobody could figure out the cause but with my colleagues, we discovered that the problem was coming from the soil we use to plant trees. We advised the project manager and the problem was solved. And with this project, we have now stable and sustained income to support our families and improve our livelihoods”, said Lhoussine Chetma, an inhabitant of Ouarzazate and employee of the project. Targa Aide, a local NGO with a wide network of technical experts and access to research institutes, has been designated to help with its implementation, in close collaboration with the High Commission for Water, Forestry and Desertification Control. Mohamed Tozi, president of Targa Aide said: “As representative of the civil society, we are pleased to be part of the implementation of this project. The project uses a participative approach by engaging local population. Our network of experts and engineers is available to support the project with implementation and sustainability”. “We use this innovative project to raise awareness of our community to plant trees to protect our city from dust storms and desertification. The project helps us with creating jobs for youth and improving their livelihoods,” said Mohamed ben Aissa, president of Maroc Jeune, a local nongovernmental organization (NGO). “We are working with local authorities to sustain this project by educating and sensitizing the local community. We hope to get more people to embrace the greenbelt and protect it,” he added. During the launch of the second phase, Mr. Youssef Hammouzaki, the Project Manager from the High Commission for Water, Forestry and Desertification Control of Morocco highlighted the achievements of the first phase: “So far, we managed to plant 400 hectares. This will help us stop desertification, decrease land degradation and protect the city from strong winds and dust clouds”. The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Morocco Dongil Park, during the launch said; “this project will offer a better living environment for the population in Ouarzazate. I am proud of all partners who made it a success. I hope that this project will be a model to control desertification and loss of biodiversity in the world”. Since its inception in 2012, the project has relied mainly on local expertise and knowledge for implementation and sustainability. The project created new job opportunities and using their traditional knowledge and experience and will focus on awareness raising, partnerships, and sharing the experience with other regions in Morocco and abroad. The greenbelt also created recreational spaces for the urban population, providing an innovative way to raise community awareness and encourage public participation in the prevention of land degradation and biodiversity loss. The residents’ ownership of the initiative resulted in a high level of support and community engagement in looking after the trees.
