Azilal Commune Engaged in Participatory Process to Strengthen Climate Change Adaptation

Multi-Stakeholder Meeting to Present Participatory Results

Within the framework of the ASTA project – “Mobilization and participation for inclusive territorial policies on climate change adaptation in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region”, Azilal commune hosted, on Friday, July 18, 2025, a multi-stakeholder meeting dedicated to presenting the results of six months of participatory work aimed at strengthening the commune’s capacity to adapt to climate change.

The meeting brought together more than 65 participants representing public administrations, decentralized services, the communal council, the university, civil society associations, cooperatives, and advisory bodies.

An Innovative Participatory Diagnostic Process

Over the past six months, Azilal commune, in partnership with AIDECA, has conducted a participatory diagnostic process to assess the impacts of climate change on the commune’s various douars and neighbourhoods, with the contribution of council members, technical staff, the Equality and Gender Approach body, the Communal Youth Council, and civil society components.

The process relied on an innovative diagnostic tool developed by the association and its partners, applied for the first time in five communes in the region, to integrate the climate dimension into territorial planning and local public policies and to strengthen population resilience in the face of climate challenges.

The diagnostic mobilized 186 citizens to conduct field surveys, complete 15 technical forms, and conduct 7 in-depth interviews with actors and population representatives.

Three Key Presentations

The meeting provided an opportunity to deepen the discussion through three key presentations:

• Sustainable waste management – presented by Mr. Abdelaziz Asimi, outlining sorting and recycling mechanisms as levers for reducing emissions and promoting the circular economy.

• Sustainable agrotourism as an adaptation tool – presented by Ms. Fatima Amkar, president of the “Kounouz Ahnçal” cooperative, illustrating how local products and agrotourism can generate income while preserving natural resources.

• “Espace Tamunt” experience in climate change adaptation – presented by Mr. Moulay Hafid Ferdi from the Azilal Provincial Tourism Council, offering a model linking tourist development and preservation of mountain ecosystems.

These contributions, combined with the diagnostic results, have enriched the mapping of ideas and proposals that the commune and its partners will translate into concrete initiatives and projects in the areas of waste management, green space valorization, rationalization of water resource use, clean energy adoption, and sustainable tourism development.

A Model Participatory Dynamic

This participatory dynamic marks a new stage where climate considerations are integrated at the heart of Azilal commune’s territorial policies, thus consolidating its role as a regional model for climate change adaptation.

About the AMUSSU Project

This initiative is part of the Strategic Support Programme for Civil Society in Morocco (PASSC), funded by the European Union. It is part of the AMUSSU project: “Strengthening civil society’s capacity to act in Morocco for good governance of the environment and climate”, implemented by a consortium bringing together the NGO Migrations & Développement (M&D), the Association of Life and Earth Sciences Teachers (AESVT), and the Italian NGO COSPE – Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries.