Project Notice |
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| PNR | 268 |
| Project Name | Environmental Programme Morocco |
| Project Detail | The destruction of natural resources, air and water pollution in urban agglomerations, obsolete industrial plants, and uncontrolled sewage and waste disposal are slowing Morocco’s development. International environmental conventions, the free trade area with the European Union, and the Millennium Development Goals all call for a solution to these environmental problems. Although companies that are geared to exports must adapt to international environmental standards, governmental organisations and the private sector are still not working together efficiently to develop and implement norms and standards. In the growing urban-industrial centres, municipalities cannot keep up with the environmental protection and waste disposal tasks entrusted to them. On the national level, as on the local level, considerable shortcomings persist in the drafting and implementation of environmental policy and environmental law. The Ministry for Territorial Development, Water and Environment has approved a national environmental action plan to coordinate the freeing of these bottlenecks. Objective In 2012, Morocco can draw on an effective, comprehensive regulatory framework for environmental law and technology. Implementation is effected through internationally compatible instruments and procedures. Approach The programme makes a contribution to this goal in the following activity areas: advising the Ministry for Territorial Development, Water and Environment, Rabat, on environmental policy establishment of a national centre for toxic waste disposal, Rabat / Casablanca (in cooperation with KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW development bank) industrial environmental protection, Mohammedia municipal environmental protection stressing improvements in municipal waste management, Tangier / northern region. The programme thus intervenes on all three levels of government administration: On the national level, the environmental ministry in Rabat is advised on designing framework conditions for environmental policy and environmental legislation, particularly with regard to the coordination of national measures on environmental protection and on communication with other sectoral ministries and with Moroccan industry and society. Also supported are cooperation among the Maghreb countries and harmonisation with EU environmental law. The strengthening of institutions with regard to environmental protection on the regional and local levels promotes the practical, on-site implementation of policy, while at the same time making a major contribution to decentralising responsibility and strengthening the role of the municipalities. Model solutions are being developed on two issues: improvement of municipal waste management and environmental management in industry. In Tangier, advisers are developing — together with regional and municipal administrations — instruments for the better operation of waste dumps and more efficient waste management. Training and upgrading measures for corporate staff and the local administration are conducted both on site and in Germany. The experience gathered in Tangier serves as a foundation for environmental measures in other Moroccan cities. Communication and coordination committees are being formed for the dissemination of instruments and procedural methods. In order to improve environmental management, the university in Mohammedia is being supported with the establishment of a centre for the transfer of environmental technology known as the “C3TEM”. The centre is supported by the environmental ministry, Hassan II University, an industrial plant, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a business association, among others. The employees of small and medium-sized companies are trained in eco-efficiency. GIZ informs local companies about their possibilities for financing environmentally friendly technologies, for instance through the environmental fund FODEP (Fonds de Dépollution Industrielle), which is supported by KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW development bank). A system for monitoring industry is also being devised and introduced. Results achieved so far So far, three laws have been passed: an environmental framework law and laws on air pollution control and environmental impact assessment. The waste law drafted with German support was passed in May 2006 following intensive advisory services to the parliament. The passing of this law represents a milestone in Moroccan environmental policy, because now the foundations have been laid for more sustainable policies on waste. The legislative regulatory framework governing specific details is being supported by GIZ advisory services. Media attention on the subject of environmental protection has markedly increased. The number of radio and television broadcasts on environmental issues and on the activities of the environmental programme has more than doubled. In the field of waste management, inter-municipal cooperation in the framework of a special purpose association and cooperation with the private sector are being tested as new forms of organisation. In the city of Larache, the separation and composting of organic household waste is being tried on a pilot basis as part of the effort to reduce the amount of waste destined for landfills. Guidelines and the legal foundations for the building of controlled waste disposal sites have been drafted and a national management concept has been developed for the disposal of industrial waste. The guidelines on site assessment are being officially specified to apply to the planning of all waste disposal sites throughout the country. In Mohammedia, audits to improve energy efficiency and reduce industrial emissions have been organised and profitable environmental management methods employed in businesses. As a result, firms in Mohammedia have invested more than € 1.1 million of their own funds in improved processes and environmental technology. The newly founded technology transfer centre C3TEM has been entrusted with implementation of these activities. Furthermore, a concept for advising and monitoring industry on adherence to legally specified environmental norms is being put into practice in Mohammedia. The idea for C3TEM was selected from about 270 applications for participation in the final round of the 2004 SEED award (Supporting Entrepreneurs in Environment and Development). It has won a special UNEP prize to the amount of US$ 25,000. In Tangier, an environmental education centre was established in cooperation with a teachers’ organisation. Its purpose is to upgrade teachers and serve as a platform for informing groups of pupils. Management and safety have been improved at the waste disposal site, although it has not yet proved possible to put an end to smoke generation. |
| Funded By | Deutsche Gesellschaft f?r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) |
| Sector | Environment |
| Country | Ghana , Western Africa |
| Project Value | Plz Refer Document |
Contact Information |
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| Company Name | German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) |
| Address | Postfach 12 03 22, 53045 Bonn, Germany, Tel: +49 / 228 / 9 95 35-0, Fax: +49 / 228 / 9 95 35-35 00. |
| Web Site | http://www.bmz.de/ |
