Rabat – The Spanish government reaffirmed on Tuesday its steadfast commitment to continue collaborating with Morocco in the fight against wildfires.
According to a statement from the Spanish government’s presidency, issued after a cabinet meeting, Spain reiterated its commitment to cooperate with Morocco in combating wildfires.
This cooperation is guided by bilateral agreements with several other countries, including Morocco.
An action plan for 2024 has been adopted to focus on the prevention and suppression of forest fires. The plan details how the state’s administration supports regional firefighting mechanisms, stressing a unified, comprehensive, and coordinated approach to policy in this area.
The agreement endorses the measures outlined in the 2024 action plan for preventing and fighting forest fires, while also recognizing the implementation report of measures from the 2023 action plan.
According to data from the Moroccan National Agency of Water and Forests (ANEF), the forest area affected by fires saw a substantial decrease in 2023.
A total of 6,426 hectares were burned, down from 22,760 hectares in 2022, representing a 70% reduction.
The Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region recorded the highest figures, with 182 fire outbreaks and 1,620 hectares burned, constituting 40% of the total number of fires across the country.
Morocco and Spain maintain robust bilateral relations. In 2023, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, highlighted that the relationship between Spain and Morocco had reached a new peak.
This renewed commitment underscores Morocco’s proactive stance in international cooperation to address environmental challenges.
