The rise in temperatures recorded recently, pushes most families to want to spend more time outside to breathe a little. That said, they have trouble finding green spaces nearby, where to go with their children, precisely because of a flagrant lack in this area, in the face of an impressive real estate expansion. The green spaces have disappeared, the hundred-year-old trees which provided shade and coolness, were uprooted and replaced with palm trees. A “criminal” act not yet elucidated.
The metropolis, for example, described as ” Smart City »now looks like a block of concrete, despite the warning issued by ecologists and defenders of the environment on the importance of green and leisure spaces in the daily lives of citizens.
But the problem of the lack of green spaces does not only concern the economic capital, but several other cities of the Kingdom, in particular the large agglomerations, which are sorely lacking in reforestation projects and green spaces adapted to their cultural and climatic specificities.
Environmental activists have therefore reacted to this phenomenon by first demanding a change in the type of trees planted along the boulevards, calling at the same time to make elected officials aware of the importance of the environmental dimension in the development and the implementation of public policies.
In this sense, Mohamed Benabou, expert in climate, sustainable development and climate engineering, indicated that “the Kingdom’s major cities still need climate plans in line with Morocco’s environmental strategy, in order to reduce the environmental damage caused by climate change“.
“Rabat is the only city that meets international environmental standards. In detail, 40 square meters were allocated to each citizen, and treated wastewater was used to irrigate green areas, which preserved the aesthetics of the city.“, he detailed.
Also citing Casablanca as an example, the climatologist stressed that the metropolis does not exceed ” one and a half square meters of green space for each citizen, which is a very low percentage given the high popular density “. He noted in this regard that Rabat is an exemplary city, while the other cities should accelerate the pace of their work in the field of the environment.
” The proactive vision in the field of green spaces is absent in a number of large cities, which reveals the importance of preparing climate plans at the provincial and regional levels to deal with climate change, including the extreme heat waves which push the inhabitants look for parks where to take refuge “, he added.
On the other hand, Ayoub Krir, university researcher in sustainable development, noted that “ local authorities do not activate the provisions of the organic law related to the regions, in particular its environmental component, which obliges them to create new green spaces to improve the aesthetics of small and large towns “.
” Environmental standards are absent in the new residential areas, while the old areas already lack reforestation projects, which exacerbates the suffering of families during the summer, forced to find themselves, to travel long distances to breathe fresh air and enjoy nature with familye”, supports the expert.
While recalling that the planning law defines the percentage of green spaces in residences, but this remains a dead letter in legal documents “, he warns against” the growing influence of real estate lobbies in large cities, in contrast to the weak roles of the environmental police, which lack the resources and means to be able to fulfill their mission of monitoring new residential areas”.
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