Climate change data
The city of Marrakech in Morocco, renowned for its heritage, economic dynamism, and tourist appeal, faces critical climate challenges. Rising temperatures, water scarcity, increasingly extreme weather events, and the vulnerability of certain neighborhoods make it a priority area for climate action.
As part of Morocco's national climate strategy and the Kingdom's international commitments, the municipality has begun designing its Territorial Climate Plan. This plan is a strategic tool for structuring an ambitious local response to climate challenges, involving all stakeholders.
This project is supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It is also in partnership with local and regional authorities and technical and financial actors.
The main objective of this study is to provide the City of Marrakech with an operational Territorial Climate Plan that is consistent with national priorities. The territorial climate plan aims to strengthen urban resilience to the impacts of climate change. It also aims to reduce the city's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support its transition to a sustainable, low-carbon, and inclusive development model.
It is based on an integrated approach combining mitigation, adaptation, stakeholder cooperation, and mobilization of climate finance.
The first phase of the Territorial Climate Plan consists of establishing a comprehensive and structured assessment of the current and future climate of the city of Marrakech. This assessment is based on three fundamental components: climate trends, territorial vulnerability, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
A comprehensive collection of available data is carried out: existing technical studies, environmental inventories, local development plans, urban and socio-economic statistics. This collection is based on cooperation between municipal technical services and regional partners. At the same time, questionnaires are distributed to local stakeholders in order to identify available knowledge, perceptions of the climate, and adaptation needs.
The climate profile of the city of Marrakech is then established. This profile combines historical climate data from local weather stations with climate projections from the latest IPCC models (AR6) based on the SSP5-8.5 scenario.
An analysis looking ahead to 2050 makes it possible to anticipate major climate changes:
A territorial vulnerability assessment is conducted to identify the most exposed neighborhoods, economic sectors, and infrastructure.
This analysis is based on a cross-cutting approach:
The aim is to prioritize climate risks across the territory and identify priority areas for action.
An inventory of the city's greenhouse gas emissions is carried out in accordance with the international GPC (Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories) protocol. It includes:
At the end of this phase, regional climate objectives are defined:
These objectives are consistent with Morocco's national guidelines and international commitments, while taking into account the specific local characteristics of the region.
Following the territorial assessment carried out in phase 1, a strategic roadmap is developed to define the main climate guidelines for the city of Marrakech. This roadmap aims to structure a coherent, ambitious, and operational response to the challenges identified, by planning the actions to be taken in the short, medium, and long term.
The climate action plan is based on three main pillars:
Each action identified in the plan is evaluated according to several criteria: its technical and institutional feasibility, its potential impact on climate objectives, its cost, its level of strategic priority, and its implementation schedule. The goal is to build a balanced plan that combines structural measures and quick-win actions.
The approach adopted for the development of this roadmap is participatory and inclusive. Consultation workshops are organized with local stakeholders (elected officials, municipal services, civil society, the private sector, academic institutions) in order to validate the proposed orientations, enrich the measures envisaged, and promote their collective ownership.
The governance of the Territorial Climate Plan is formalized in this phase. It includes a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of the actors involved, steering mechanisms coordinated by the municipality, and regular monitoring procedures. This governance aims to ensure the consistency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the actions implemented.
Finally, a monitoring and evaluation system (MRV – Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) is put in place. The purpose of this system is to measure the results obtained, evaluate the effectiveness of actions, adjust interventions in line with changes in the context, and ensure transparency vis-à-vis citizens and partners. A climate dashboard has been developed to centralize key indicators, facilitate the management of the plan, and guide decision-making.
This phase thus constitutes the strategic foundation of the Marrakech Territorial Climate Plan, transforming the findings of the assessment into an operational action plan aligned with national climate priorities and local dynamics.
The third phase of the Territorial Climate Plan aims to translate strategic guidelines into concrete actions through the development and implementation of high-impact structural projects. It marks the transition from planning to action, targeting priority interventions capable of rapidly initiating the city's climate transition.
A rigorous selection of projects is conducted based on several criteria: Territorial relevance, in line with locally identified climate issues; Strategic alignment with the priorities of the climate plan and Morocco's national and international commitments; Technical and financial feasibility, in the short or medium term; Potential for replicability, to encourage replication in other territories or neighborhoods.
Following this analysis, six priority projects were selected. They cover areas of action that are essential for Marrakech's ecological transition:
For each of these projects, a concept note is developed in accordance with standards recognized by international donors (UNDP, Green Climate Fund, GEF, etc.). Each note includes:
These notes serve as a basis for mobilizing international funding and seeking technical and financial partnerships, particularly with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), as well as bilateral donors and cooperation agencies.
The implementation of these projects will enable rapid action to be taken on visible urban transformation, in line with the city's climate ambitions. They are key drivers for strengthening the resilience of the region, improving the quality of life of its inhabitants, and demonstrating the effectiveness of proactive local governance in climate matters.
The design and implementation of the Marrakech Territorial Climate Plan marks a milestone in the municipality's commitment to addressing the climate emergency. This process is a key lever for putting the region on a low-carbon transition path, while meeting the social, economic, and environmental needs of its populations.
At the end of this process, the City of Marrakech will have several strategic and operational deliverables:
The Territorial Climate Plan will enable Marrakech to:
This plan is therefore a strategic and operational tool for making Marrakech a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient city capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.
In a context marked by intensifying climate change, cities are emerging as key players in the ecological transition. The City of Marrakech, through the implementation of its Territorial Climate Plan, is fully committed to this transformation.
This plan embodies an exemplary, structured, and ambitious approach, laying the foundations for a resilient, low-carbon, and inclusive urban transition. It provides a concrete response to the major challenges of the 21st century: adaptation to climate hazards, reduction of emissions, mobilization of actors, access to financing, and sustainable governance.
Beyond its technical and environmental objectives, the Marrakech Territorial Climate Plan demonstrates the ability of local authorities to anticipate, plan, and act over the long term, reconciling economic development, social cohesion, and climate imperatives.
Marrakech is thus affirming its desire to become an exemplary region at the national and regional level, capable of inspiring other cities to build a more sustainable and resilient future.
