ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN MOROCCO

Coastal hydrodynamic modelling, evaluation of sediment transport, coastal evolution and beaches vulnerability index

Sea level rise, and the expected increase in impacts from associated extreme weather events such as coastal flooding and storm surges, is a highly challenging, strategic public policy issue. The concentration of human population, valuable resources and economic infrastructure in coastal zones, coupled with pressures arising from demographic growth and imperatives for economic development and the dynamics of coastal systems, create diverse and complex problems in planning sustainable development and land use strategies.

In areas such as the Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Morocco (EMCM), planners, local authorities, and other stakeholders require tools and information to identify vulnerabilities, select land-use options, and develop and deliberate over adaptation strategies in order to formulate strategic coastal planning policies.

The research project develops capacity for, and contribute to, policy and decision-making for strategic coastal land use planning and management, to the purpose of reducing the vulnerability of coastal communities to the impacts of sea level rise, coastal flooding, and related extreme weather events.

The project advances the science and technology that underpin preparations for, and responses to climate related events, and contribute to the information systems that guide policies of public protection. Its results informs the SMAPIII ICZM Actions Plan, and similar EMCM policy initiatives and support the assessment and implementation of adaptation measures in a regional context.

These goals are pursued through development of vulnerability assessments, participatory deliberation of land-use and climate change adaptation strategies, and the formation of capacity through technology transfer, awareness raising, and institutional strengthening.