Morocco is Leading the Charge Against Climate Change

Morocco seems to truly intend on holding up its promise to fight back against climate change as it holds 6th place in the 2016 Climate Change Index being the only non European country in the top twenty.

Morocco is one of the countries where the effects of climate change can evidently be seen. Just one example is the severe drought the country faced in 2015, which lowered the agricultural GDP from 12.5 %to 1.5%.

Understanding the the origin of this problem and many others is climate change, Morocco has been bearing the largest impact of climate change the world has ever seen, considering the drought in 2015. The vast amount of problems regarding climate change has provoked Morocco to put several Green Policies in place, in order to conserve its natural resources. Morocco has also begun using its ocean and sea as a resource with fishing making up 56% of the country's agricultural exports.

“Morocco has launched the Plan Vert to cope with the threat of climate change,” said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Group Country Director for the Maghreb. “It involves both adapting the country to the reality of climate change and taking steps to reduce its impact on its people and environment.”

Plan Vert, or the green strategy, intends to conserve the environment as well as the wellbeing of Moroccans. Which has put a plan into action which aims to generate 52% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

In 2014 Morocco launched Noor 1, which is a massive Solar Power Plant in the Sahara Desert. It is so big that it can be seen from space, and this is only the first section. The project is expected to be finished in 2018 and it will likely be the largest Solar Power Plant in the world.

If one were to look at the economy in more detail they would conclude that Agriculture accounts for nearly 20% of the economy and employs 43% of all working individuals, additionally it accounts for 78% of rural employment.

Morocco’s agriculture relies heavily on rainfall and this is reflected in annual GDP reports. Due to climate and global warming there has been a 10% decrease in rainfall in the past few decades. As well as Morocco experiencing a drought every three years we realize how significant of an issue this is to Moroccan economy and many others.

Morocco truly faces some serious issues in relation to Agriculture in regards to its economy as well as climate change. The government has realized the importance of these issues and has been put several measures in place to prevent the problem and provide a brighter and more hopeful future for further generations.

Sources:

http://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/moroccan-agriculture-facing-challenges-divided-system/

http://www.yieldgap.org/morocco

http://www.our-africa.org/morocco/climate-agriculture

http://www.new-ag.info/en/country/profile.php?a=869

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/morocco/maland.htm

https://qz.com/828126/morocco-is-a-rock-star-in-the-fight-against-climate-change-which-makes-it-a-perfect-venue-for-the-worlds-biggest-climate-change-conference/

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2016/11/17/5-things-morocco-is-doing-about-climate-change