The organisation of this regional seminar comes at the initiative of the "Oued Eddahab Association for Maritime Fishing and Environmental Protection" and the "Dakhla Bay Network for Climate and Sustainable Development", in partnership with the Southern Atlantic Maritime Fishing Chamber and in coordination with the Geomorphology, Environment and Society Laboratory at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech.
The seminar aims to open a discussion to diagnose the situation of Oued Eddahab Bay, both in terms of the assets it possesses that constitute energy for the development train and the constraints it may face, to emphasise that it is an area that, with its economic, natural, and human assets, remains fully prepared to play its leading role in Morocco's 2030 vision.
In this context, the organisers of the seminar, which was marked by the presence of a number of elected officials, heads of external services, and local community and environmental actors, seek to address the issues related to Oued Eddahab Bay and think about solutions that ensure the valorisation of resources and the achievement of sustainable development.
In this context, the president of the Oued Eddahab Association for Maritime Fishing and Environmental Protection, M'barek Hamia, said in a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) agency that the scientific meeting aims to shed light on Oued Eddahab Bay, classified by the "Ramsar" convention as an important ecological wetland, pointing to the need to take the necessary measures to preserve the environment within this vital space, which is a lever for economic development in the region, especially through investments in the aquaculture and tourism sectors.
For his part, the president of the "Dakhla Bay Network for Climate and Sustainable Development", Mohamed Idass, considered that the meeting is a platform for collective reflection to find sustainable solutions for Oued Eddahab Bay and enhance its natural and economic assets, thanks to the combined efforts of many stakeholders.
For his part, Mohamed Mansoum, director of the Geomorphology Laboratory and professor-researcher at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in Marrakech, considered that Oued Eddahab Bay constitutes the cornerstone for sustainable development in this region, which is characterised by promising potential in the areas of maritime fishing, tourism, agriculture, and logistics, and is therefore considered a basic foundation for developing the blue economy.
He added that the major challenge lies in linking the valorisation of these natural resources with the preservation of the bay's potential in terms of the environment and natural balances, which requires involving a group of actors from various backgrounds and disciplines to achieve integrated and sustainable economic development that contributes to the advancement of this region and makes it a locomotive for development with promising prospects.
The programme of this seminar includes the discussion of several axes, including "Oued Eddahab Bay: natural, economic, and human assets in the service of sustainable development", "Planning and the sustainability dimension in Oued Eddahab Bay", "The environmental dimension in the master plan for the development of Oued Eddahab Bay", "Moroccan Saharan Atlantic coasts between natural assets and territorial development", and "Integrated management of the southern Saharan coasts of Morocco: challenges and prospects".
