Marrakech – A new report from the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) warns that the city of Marrakech is experiencing worsening impacts from climate change, including “food and water supply challenges, rising cases of respiratory diseases and loss of livelihoods due to drought, extreme temperatures and flooding.”
The findings come from a Rapid Climate Risk Assessment conducted by the GCA as part of its broader Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP). Similar assessments were carried out in cities across Africa.
According to the report, Marrakech’s most significant climate hazards are “drought, extreme temperatures, flooding, and sand and dust storms.”
These are leading to major risks for the city and its residents, such as “health complications, constrained labor productivity, water scarcity, drop in food production, and ecosystem destruction.”
The GCA further notes that these risks are projected to intensify in the coming years. Marrakech’s vulnerability is exacerbated by its heavy economic dependence on tourism, as “rising temperatures, drought and the other hazards are likely to discourage visitors, leading to loss of livelihoods.”
Population growth and social inequalities are also contributing factors. The report states that “young people, women and migrants” are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in Marrakech.
To boost the city’s climate resilience, the GCA recommends a range of adaptation measures. These include developing a guide for integrated and participatory architecture and urban planning, implementing the Médina pilot project for more resilient public spaces, and establishing a climate academy for those involved in public action.
The GCA also suggests creating a climate change and health observatory to better understand the impact of climate change on health, as well as setting up a scientific advisory board to improve climate change data access and availability.
Additionally, the report calls for developing a tourism sector adaptation plan to address the potential loss of livelihoods due to the negative impacts of climate change on Marrakech’s tourism industry.
The assessment of Marrakech is one component of the AAAP, a major initiative aimed at scaling up adaptation across the African continent.
Launched in 2021 by the GCA and the African Development Bank, the program seeks to mobilize $25 billion by 2025 for adaptation action focused on four pillars: food security, resilient infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship, and innovative finance.
To date, the AAAP has shaped over $8.4 billion in adaptation investments, which are expected to build resilience for nearly 60 million people in 35 African countries and generate more than 700,000 jobs.
According to the GCA, through the program’s Upstream Financing Facility, every dollar invested is leveraging $100 for adaptation projects.
With climate hazards intensifying from Marrakech to cities across Africa, accelerating adaptation has become an urgent priority.
Reports like the GCA’s provide a roadmap for the policies and investments needed to protect lives and livelihoods from the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
