Project

Safeguarding Local Communities’ Heritage

Through training and local know-how, inhabitants of the large palm grove outside Marrakesh are determined to save their ecosystem and manage their own resources.

Photo of farmer with a flock of sheeps in a palm grove

6 December 2022

Last update:24 April 2023

As a result of desertification, more and more people were forced to leave the Palmeraie (giant palm oasis), near Marrakech, to look for work. So, the local inhabitants decided to take action. In 2007, they launched a community conservation plan. Piloted by a sustainable development education team, the project relies on the support and energy of local residents to protect this fragile ecosystem. The aim? Making farmers and communities fully independent by developing new skills to fight desertification and preserve water.

Collective intelligence to promote sustainable development

This independence was made possible through education, and particularly, by sharing local ancestral know-how to create a positive impact on the ecosystem and resource management. The project also focuses on improving the overall level of literacy and environmental awareness. Committed to long-term change, the local citizens have set up a community-run cooperative.

Under the umbrella of the Mohamed VI Foundation for environmental protection, the programme continues to support and provide training for young people, women and farmers.

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