News
23 Jun 2013
12 min read
"The Moroccan Oriental: from a peripheral region to a pivotal region?"
PMAT, behind this acronym, Territorial Upgrading Programme, is a major project that is taking shape, followed at the highest level by the Head of State. A project that touches populations hitherto marginalised, dispersed in mountainous, landlocked, and difficult-to-access regions, which make the headlines to recall this or that tragedy, the death of children or babies, as was the case in Anfghou, or the isolation of douars surrounded by snow... 3,300 douars, including those near Jerrada, which has been very affected since the closure of the coal mines, will be concerned by a programme to improve water, electricity, health, education, and access to basic infrastructure services. Beyond the launch of major projects in the Oriental, it is a matter of upgrading an entire region which, for a long time, will have lived at the mercy of smuggling and the contribution of emigration by using precisely the money of the emigrants which served
The Oriental, which covers 82,820 km², constitutes 11.6% of the national territory. Located in the east of the country, it is bordered by the Mediterranean to the north and by Algeria to the east. Starting from an off-centre and border position, which contributed to its economic and social lag compared to the vital hubs of the country, could the region's potential and the new generation of major projects launched allow it to overcome the handicap of marginality and succeed in its integration into the national economic space? This is the question posed to the geographer researcher, Abdelkader Guitouni, a native of Oujda who defended his State doctoral thesis with Jean François Troin. Author of the book "The Moroccan North-East: reality and potential of an off-centre region", he is the co-author of numerous works and will soon publish a book on the lexicons of the region. He was awar…
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