Moroccan Mountain Green Belt
National Mountain Water & Ecosystem Resilience Program
MOUNTAIN GREEN BELT OF MOROCCO
National Water Security and Mountain Ecosystem Restoration Program
Vision
Moroccan Mountain Green Belt— a long-term national program to restore Morocco's mountain ecosystems, preserve watersheds, increase natural water storage, restore forests and soils, and improve the resilience of mountainous areas to drought, fires, erosion, and climate change.
The program considers mountains not only as a protected area, but also as a vital partnational water infrastructure of Morocco.
Healthy mountain ecosystems must function as a natural system:
Precipitation → Snow and fog → Vegetation → Soil → Infiltration → Groundwater → Springs → Streams → Rivers → Reservoirs → Agriculture and Human Settlements.
The main goal of the program is to restore and strengthen this natural chain.
1. Strategic goals
The program is aimed at:
restoration of mountain watersheds;
increasing natural water retention;
restoration of springs and small watercourses;
reduction in the rate of surface runoff;
reduction of destructive floods;
restoration of forests and woodlands;
combating soil erosion and degradation;
restoration of high mountain pastures;
reducing fire hazard;
biodiversity conservation;
development of mountain agriculture;
support for villages, farmers and cooperatives;
development of ecological and scientific tourism;
creation of a long-term mountain monitoring system.
2. Mountain Sponge
One of the central principles of the program is the transformation of the mountain landscape into a natural water accumulation system.
Instead of draining precipitation down the slope as quickly as possible, water should gradually:
to linger;
to be distributed;
penetrate into the soil;
accumulate in the plant layer;
replenish underground horizons;
slowly flow into springs and rivers.
For this purpose the following is provided:
small infiltration basins;
contour ditches;
terraces;
stone thresholds;
restoration of wetlands;
forest water retention zones;
restoration of soil cover.
3. Peaks and mountain ridges
The upper parts of the mountains require a separate strategy.
The following is provided:
protection of natural high mountain vegetation;
restoration of degraded areas;
snow management;
collection of fog and horizontal precipitation;
protection from extreme wind;
erosion control;
monitoring precipitation and temperature.
The ridges and peaks become the first level of the national drainage system.
4. Forest restoration
The program envisages a transition from simple mass plantings to restorationsustainable forest communities.
Used:
native tree species;
mixed forests;
shrub communities;
herbaceous plants;
ground cover species;
mycorrhizal fungi;
natural reforestation.
Priority is given to genetic diversity and the formation of forests that can survive for decades and centuries without constant artificial maintenance.
5. Springs Recovery
Springs are considered one of the main indicators of the health of a mountain ecosystem.
The program includes:
certification of springs;
restoration of feeding zones;
protection from pollution;
restoration of vegetation around springs;
limiting destructive grazing;
creation of small storage pools;
continuous monitoring of water consumption and quality.
6. Terraces 2050
Historic mountain terraces can become modern climate adaptation infrastructure.
The program includes:
restoration of existing terraces;
construction of new ones where it is environmentally justified;
slope strengthening;
accumulation of soil and organic matter;
planting fruit trees;
development of agroforestry;
surface runoff management.
The terraces act as both agricultural and water-retaining infrastructure.
7. Mountain agriculture
The program supports small farms and cooperatives specializing in:
orchards;
nut crops;
olives;
medicinal and aromatic plants;
beekeeping;
sustainable livestock farming;
production of local products;
agroforestry.
Water and environmental infrastructure must create an economic basis for the preservation of mountain settlements.
8. Protection from forest fires
A complex system is being formed:
prevention → detection → localization → extinguishing → restoration.
It includes:
fire-prevention landscape zones;
controlled management of plant mass;
water tanks;
forest roads and emergency routes;
automatic monitoring stations;
unmanned monitoring;
early detection of smoke and thermal anomalies;
restoration of territories after fires.
9. Biodiversity
The Mountain Green Belt should become not a monoculture forest, but a network of interconnected natural ecosystems.
Created:
forest corridors;
water corridors;
high mountain shelters;
animal breeding areas;
areas for birds and pollinators;
protected old-growth trees;
natural restoration areas.
10. DREVO Mountain Digital Twin
A digital twin is created for each pilot territory.
The system combines data on:
relief;
soils;
vegetation;
forests;
springs;
rivers;
groundwater;
precipitation;
snow cover;
fires;
erosion;
biodiversity;
agricultural activities.
This allows us to evaluate results not only by the number of trees planted, but by the actual restoration of ecosystem functions.
11. Priority mountain systems
The program may cover sequentially:
Rif → Middle Atlas → High Atlas → Anti-Atlas → mountainous areas of southern Morocco.
A separate ecological and hydrological plan is created for each zone.
12. Pilot model
It is appropriate to consider the first demonstration mountain basin in its entirety:
summit → upper slope → middle slope → lower slope → valley → river → reservoir.
The pilot includes:
digital mapping;
soil restoration;
reforestation;
terracing;
restoration of springs;
water retention structures;
fire protection system;
restoration of biodiversity;
demonstration farms;
continuous scientific monitoring.
13. Connection with Moroccan Green Line
Moroccan Mountain Green Belt And Moroccan Green Lineshould be considered as two parts of a single national water-ecological system.
Mountain Green Belt
Mountains → sediment retention → infiltration → springs → rivers → reservoirs
Moroccan Green Line
Ocean → desalination → water storage → soil restoration → agriculture → coastal ecosystems
Thus, the system is formed:
Mountain → River → Agricultural Land → Coast → Ocean
and reverse process flow:
Ocean → Desalination → Water Infrastructure → Agriculture → Ecosystem Restoration
Long-term vision 2050–2100
By the middle and end of the 21st centuryMoroccan Mountain Green Beltcould form a national network of restored mountain watersheds, forests, springs, pastures, agricultural areas and ecological corridors.
Mountains are becoming not the periphery of the state’s water strategy, but its upper level -Morocco's natural water tower.