Morocco/Architect's Day: Rethinking urban planning in the face of climate challenges

Fez - The 39th National Day of the Architect, organized on Tuesday under the patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, was an opportunity to launch the debate on global warming and water issues in Morocco, and to discuss innovative solutions to these major challenges.

Speaking at a conference attended by leading experts, Badria Benjelloun, Director of Urban Planning at the French Ministry of Regional Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy, stressed the urgency of concerted action and the need to integrate sustainable water management into urban planning, in the face of overexploitation of the water table and extreme climatic events. the urgency of concerted action and the need to integrate sustainable water management into urban planning, given the overexploitation of water tables and extreme climatic events.

Morocco is committed to a proactive approach, she said, through regional land-use planning schemes and the "Circular Economy of Urban Water" project.

Ms Benjelloun called for multi-level governance and a holistic approach involving all stakeholders, as well as capacity building and continuing education.

For his part, Mohamed Chtioui, Director of the Tensift Water Basin Agency, highlighted the limitations of traditional drainage infrastructures in the face of increasingly frequent flooding.

He called for a paradigm shift towards alternative, "compensatory" stormwater management techniques.

These solutions, such as valleys, infiltration wells or "storage roofs", enable water flows to be collected and regulated, rather than evacuated, thus reducing pressure on drainage networks.

Mr. Chtioui stressed the importance of a design adapted to the local context and of regular maintenance to guarantee the effectiveness of these techniques.

For his part, Jalal El Moata, Project Manager for the "National Adaptation Plan/Green Climate Fund" at UNDP Morocco, presented the national framework for adaptation to climate change.adaptation to climate change, recommending regional planning, notably through the integration of adaptation into the Regional Development Plans of five pilot regions.

For M. El Moata, successful adaptation requires synergy between the Schémas Régionaux d'Aménagement du Territoire (SRAT) and the Plans d'adaptation et de développement climato-résilient (PADCR), in order to take better account of climate issues in regional planning.

Initiated by the Conseil National de l'Ordre des Architectes (CNOA), in partnership with the Ministère de l'Aménagement du Territoire National, de l'Urbanisme, de l'Habitat et de la Politique de la VilleHabitat et de la Politique de la ville, the event was attended by architects, experts and decision-makers, as well as representatives of African associations and organizations of architects.

This annual event, instituted in homage to the historic speech delivered by the late HM Hassan II on January 14, 1986 in Marrakech, took place this year against a backdrop of environmental urgency, focusing on the role of architects in the transition to a sustainable world.of architects in the transition to sustainable development, and on innovative approaches to the growing challenges of water stress and energy management.

The event also brought together presidents of major international professional organizations, including the African Union of Architects (AUA), the Union Méditerranéenne des Architectes (UMAR), and the Fédération des Architectes Francophones d'Afrique (FAFA).

Source: www.mapexpress.ma