Morocco witnessed unprecedented fires in several regions of the north of the Kingdom, in conjunction with a record rise in temperatures that reached 46 degrees Celsius, as the affected forest areas exceeded about 25 thousand hectares, according to data from the National Center for Climate Risk Management.
So far, the main causes of the fires in the Kingdom have not been determined, but the accusation finger was pointed at the human factor, as a number of people suspected of being involved in setting fire to the “Kediyat Al-Tayfur” forest in the north of the country were arrested, a fire that killed 3 people. And wiped out large areas of vegetation cover.
‘environmental disaster’
Experts in the environmental field warn of the danger of continuous fires in forests in recent years, and the impact of this on the many functions it plays in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.
Mostafa Himmich, head of a forest area in Chefchaouen (north), describes the fires that broke out in Morocco as an “environmental disaster”, which blew up years of efforts and hard work in order to preserve forest wealth of high ecological value, which made Morocco one of the richest countries in the world. field of biodiversity.
Hamish, in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”, classified these fires among the new dangers that threaten Morocco, like other countries, noting that the northern regions of the Kingdom are clearly affected more than ever by climatic changes, as they have not previously witnessed a rise In the temperatures recorded during the current year, which also coincided with the worst dry season in the Kingdom in 30 years.
The speaker stresses the importance of the role that forests play in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity and reducing global warming, in addition to their role in absorbing carbon dioxide and protecting soil from erosion, which are functions that are affected by fires and carbonization of forest areas.
Himmish points out that many types of plants and trees can be revived, but he stresses that this is not an easy task and requires a long time and appropriate climatic conditions.
The speaker stresses the need to adopt a participatory approach that makes the population the first partner in the protection of forests, pointing to the importance of effectively integrating the neighboring populations into forest management and preserving this wealth in order to have an environmental, economic and social impact on them before others.
loss of livelihood
Observers confirm that, in addition to the impact of forest fires on the ecosystem, they cause the destruction of the livelihood of the people living in the affected areas, who are often forced to migrate to cities in search of a living.
Ahmed Al-Dardari, head of the International Center for Crisis Monitoring and Policy Foresight, says that most of the fires are caused by human factors, whether intentional or accidental, and that their destructive effects directly affect the residents adjacent to the forests, which constitute a source of livelihood for many of them.
Al-Darari added, in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”, that “many residents live from activities related to the surrounding forest, such as raising livestock, poultry and bees, collecting firewood or the field of forest tourism, all of which are activities damaged by the fires that broke out and invaded an area that constitutes a daily source of livelihood.” for them”.
The spokesman continues that in addition to the physical and economic damage that affected the residents, these fires had severe psychological effects, after they lost a strong bond and were frustrated, forcing many of them to migrate to other areas in search of new opportunities.
According to the civil actor, it has become necessary to reconsider the approach aimed at preserving the ecosystems and biodiversity of the vegetation cover adjacent to the population. He also stressed the need to create protective belts to prevent the fires from reaching the forest, and to provide water tanks ready for use and for rapid intervention to extinguish the fires.
Al-Dardari called for the creation of a special fund to help the residents affected by the fires in order to alleviate their suffering, and to start reviving the forest area through afforestation and planting fruitful trees that the residents can benefit from and exploit and contribute to taking care of and protecting them from fires.
The government supports those affected
With fires raging in the north of the country, the Moroccan government launched an emergency program to help the affected population.
They are the program for which a financial budget of 290 million dirhams (about $29 million) has been allocated, supporting those affected to rehabilitate and restore damaged buildings, restore forests, and revive agricultural activity near fire-affected forests.
The government also monitored, through this program, direct support to mitigate the harmful effects of fires on livestock breeders and beekeepers, and to carry out reforestation operations and rehabilitate damaged fruit trees by reforesting about 9330 hectares, implementing integrated economic development projects, and creating job opportunities in an additional region Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (North).
The program, which included short and medium-term measures, also aims to strengthen new fire prevention and control methods.
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