Coastal law adopted in Morocco

Today, PAP/RAC is very pleased to announce that 3,500 km of the Moroccan coastline have now a law dedicated to their protection. Conservation and sustainable management are indeed now ensured through the 81-12 bill passed unanimously on June 23, by the House of Councillors. This new legal instrument "includes both a maritime and a land part, based on scientific data and taking into account the impact of climate change."

The purpose of this legislation is to reconcile the protection and valorisation of coastal areas with the social, economic and cultural development of the Kingdom. The legislation integrates the broad principles of integrated coastal zone management, which should enable sustainable development of these territories. Thus, this law transcribes one of the key articles of the ICZM Protocol ratified by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2012, namely, the establishment of a 100 m setback zone, calculated from the coastal land boundary, and a setback of 2,000 m for transport infrastructure.

These are remarkable steps forward, but the stakes are multiple, and alongside the authorities of the Kingdom, PAP/RAC will continue its efforts for the implementation of ICZM on the ground. Thus, the definition of a National ICZM Strategy will be one of the major challenges.