Morocco is facing a concerning decline in its biodiversity. This is highlighted in a report titled “National Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,” published in 2024 and recently made public. This document provides a detailed overview of the national natural heritage, two decades after the last assessment.
The report emphasizes a widespread degradation of ecosystems, driven by the combined pressures of human activity and climate change. According to its findings, nearly 22% of national biodiversity could disappear by 2050 without corrective measures.
This trend is part of an already observed pattern, marked by an increase in the number of threatened species and a continuous decline in their populations. Terrestrial, marine, and forest ecosystems are all affected, despite the Kingdom’s natural wealth.
The document also highlights that biodiversity remains insufficiently understood. Several categories, notably marine species, invertebrates, and fungi, are still under-researched, which hampers the ability to identify protection priorities.
Institutionally, the report points out shortcomings in the implementation of conservation policies. Protected areas cover a limited portion of the territory, and their management is uneven. Moreover, coordination among various stakeholders remains inadequate.
The pressures on natural environments are numerous. Urbanization, deforestation, intensive agriculture, overexploitation of natural resources, and the effects of climate change all contribute to the degradation of ecosystems.
In light of this situation, the report calls for strengthened preservation actions. It specifically recommends expanding protected areas, improving scientific knowledge, enhancing the legal framework, and better integrating environmental issues into public policies.
Beyond the ecological dimension, the authors remind us that biodiversity is an essential element of economic development, particularly for sectors such as agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
Thus, the document underscores the urgency of coordinated action to preserve this natural heritage, the degradation of which could have lasting consequences for the economic and environmental balance of the country.