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Denver- The international community once again recognized Bouznika beach with a Blue Flag award, during a ceremony that took place on Thursday, August 5.
The Foundation for Environmental Education and the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment awarded Bouznika the award during a formal ceremony Thursday. During the ceremony, the blue flag was formally hoisted over the beachfront for the 15th consecutive year in a row.
Officials from the municipality of Bouznika attended the event, along with the governor of Benslimane province, representatives of the Mohammed VI foundation for the Protection of the Environment, and officials from the National Office for Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE).
Blue Flag designations are awarded to beaches, marinas, sand strips, and boating operators that demonstrate continued commitments to environmental sustainability practices in the world’s oceans. This year, the central theme of the 2021 Blue Flag program focused on raising awareness and combatting plastic pollution in the ocean. Sites that qualified for the award needed to meet a stringent criteria, and address issues such as hygiene, safety, and sustainable development, among other standards.
After receiving the award, beaches are subject to annual reassessments, to ensure the beaches continue to follow eco-friendly practices. To ensure the sustainable development of Bouznika, officials relayed that the beach introduced pavilions, first aid centers, open air showers, and entertainment centers.
To address the environmental maintenance of the beach, ONEE mandates daily cleaning of Bouznika beach, sand screening, and installation of adequate garbage disposal sites utilizing recyclable material. In the awareness aspect, the ONEE created two separate education centers near the beach, to ensure the local population remains educated on the proper environmental practices to maintain the quality of the beach.
ONEE’s efforts stretch beyond Bouznika, as part of Morocco’s national “Clean Beaches” initiative. The central government recognized ONEE’s work several times through awards including the “innovation trophy,” the “initiative trophy,” and the “Lalla Hasna Sustainable Coast Trophy,” reports local news.
