Rabat – The impact of climate change on biodiversity and natural resources was at the centre of a meeting organised on Saturday in Rabat, at the initiative of the Moroccan Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Held under the theme "The impact of climate change on biodiversity and natural resources in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Casablanca-Settat regions: Challenges, issues, and mobilisation of the environmental community", this workshop was an opportunity to discuss issues related to the state of biodiversity and the effects of economic activities and climate change on this ecosystem.

It also shed light on the activities of the Moroccan IUCN committee in the field of ecosystem conservation and the promotion of biodiversity in the Kingdom and North Africa.

On this occasion, the coordinator of the Moroccan IUCN committee, Ibrahim Heddan, indicated that this workshop aims to explore the effects of climate change on nature and biodiversity, particularly in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Casablanca-Settat regions.

It also aims to examine means of cooperation with the IUCN and to develop recommendations to improve biodiversity and unite efforts in the field of nature protection, he added.

For his part, the Director General of the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, under the IUCN, Maher Mahjoub, noted that nature conservation projects play a vital role in the fight against the consequences of climate change, as well as in strengthening the resilience of communities.

Nature-based solutions, he said, offer natural and effective ways to adapt to climate change, based on the blue economy, agroforestry, and green urban infrastructure, noting that the IUCN adopts a scientific approach based on a methodology for monitoring and evaluating species and ecosystems according to scientific criteria, tools, and rules.

Participants in this regional workshop discussed the threats hanging over wetlands, protected areas, and coastlines, causing the destruction and loss of biodiversity. They also worked on ways to develop specific approaches for integrated action involving biodiversity services, the agriculture sectors, the blue economy, and sustainable tourism.

They also looked into the means and mechanisms to support and develop the work of the Moroccan IUCN committee, with a view to contributing to the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of action plans and the national strategy for biodiversity.

This article "The impact of climate change on biodiversity and natural resources at the centre of a meeting in Rabat" first appeared on Map Ecology.