Essaouira Wetlands : essential for a sustainable urban future

 

Local Organization: Association Mogador Verte pour l’Environnement et le Développement Durable (MoGa Green)
Mentor Organization: Groupe de REcherche pour la Protection des Oiseaux au Maroc (GREPOM)
Award Amount: €10 000
Project Type: PROZHUM Mentorship Project
Duration: July 2025 – December 2026
Project Contact: Hicham Agourd, hichamofone79@gmail.com
Keywords: Education; Journalism; Round table; Birds guide

 

MogaGreen Environmental Education

Summary

Located along Morocco’s Atlantic coast, the city of Essaouira is surrounded by the Green Belt, an urban wetland ecosystem that plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, improving local climate resilience, and enhancing residents’ quality of life. Despite its value, the Green Belt faces growing challenges from waste pollution, neglect, and a general lack of awareness among citizens and decision-makers.

The local civil society organisation MogaGreen aims to use this project to strengthen community and local authorities engagement through environmental education, youth training, awareness campaigns, and multi-stakeholder dialogue. With scientific support from GREPOM, these activities will increase understanding of the Green Belt’s importance and encourage collective action to make the Green Belt a cleaner and more resilient ecosystem, while inspiring decision-makers to integrate wetland conservation into Essaouira’s sustainable urban development.

Objectives

  • Encourage local decision-makers to co-develop a participatory action plan for the ecological rehabilitation and sustainable management of the Green Belt as a model of urban eco-tourism;
  • Environmental awareness and capacity building among youth, local communities and civil organisations through scientific and practical training sessions to promote wetland protection and community engagement.

Resources

  • Learn more about the PROZHUM project

Funding

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) implements France’s policy on international development and solidarity. Through its financing of NGOs and the public sector, as well as its research and publications, AFD supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world. It also provides training in sustainable development (at AFD Campus) and other awareness-raising activities in France.