{"id":1281,"date":"2026-05-27T12:10:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T12:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medadapt.staging.paprac.org\/?post_type=case-study&p=1281"},"modified":"2026-05-27T12:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T12:22:19","slug":"coastal-plan-tangier-tetouan-al-hoceima-tta-region-morocco","status":"publish","type":"case-study","link":"https:\/\/medadapt.staging.paprac.org\/fr\/case-studies\/coastal-plan-tangier-tetouan-al-hoceima-tta-region-morocco\/","title":{"rendered":"Coastal Plan Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (TTA) region, Morocco"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geographic context and climate challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n

With some 447 km of coastline stretching along the Atlantic, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean coast, the coastline of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (TTA) region boasts a unique geographical position, geomorphological structure and biological diversity (Agharroud et al., 2023). Overall, the TTA region benefits from a Mediterranean-type climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Due to its geomorphological configuration with high Rif mountains and coastal plains, the TTA region is subject to diverse climatic conditions. Indeed, the oceanic influence, which characterizes the western basins of Loukkos and Tangier, is gradually attenuated in the Mediterranean coastal basins, with a pronounced aridity from West to East. In the western part between Larache and Oued Laou, the rainfall can exceed 700 mm\/year, while the eastern part of the region (particularly for the lower basins located between Jebha and Al Hoceima) receives barely 400 mm\/year. Temperatures are generally mild, but the region has been subject to a higher occurrence of heat waves in recent years, which further accentuates the negative impacts on people and natural resources (IPCC, 2022).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the mid to long-term projections (2041-2100) for coastal areas is that approximately one billion people will be at risk from coastal-related climate hazards under all IPCC scenarios. The World Bank has ranked Morocco\u2019s coastal GDP in the Top 10 countries at risk with increasing storm surges. The climate-related risks for coastal communities are thus worrying for Morocco. The country is quickly developing, and its coastal areas are facing rapid population growth and urban development, particularly the TTA region (Iv\u010devi\u0107 et al., 2020). The coastline of the TTA region faces major societal and economic issues: population, industry and logistics, resort and tourism, fishing, agriculture, etc. It is home to high biodiversity and provides many ecosystem services. However, the shift of populations and activities from the hinterland to the coast, since the beginning of the 21st century, has contributed to a strong \u2018artificialization\u2019 of the coasts, making them more exposed to various meteorological and marine hazards, and consequently more vulnerable to coastal risks (Satta et al., 2016).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n

Coastal plan TTA (French: <\/span>Sch\u00e9ma R\u00e9gional du Littoral<\/span><\/i>) is a fundamental strategic document for ensuring consistency and better coordination of territorial sectoral planning, and for mobilizing and co-constructing a sustainable and integrated development framework for the TTA coastline. It is the fruit of an eminently participatory consultation process, involving all stakeholders active in the area of coastal planning zone, the majority of whom are members of the TTA region’s Commission R\u00e9gionale de Gestion Int\u00e9gr\u00e9e du Littoral (CRGIL). The project of coastal plan TTA has been drawn up on the basis of the major issues and challenges arising from an in-depth diagnosis of the action zone, a forward-looking sustainability analysis, and a shared vision of the coastline up to 2045. It capitalizes on initiatives undertaken to develop synergy with other ongoing or projected plans and programs, and to \u201censure the coherence of investment and equipment projects to be carried out by the State, local authorities and the private sector\u201d, as provided for in Article 23 of the Coastal Act, and those programmed under the TTA Regional Development Program (2022-2027). It also helps to guide future investments and projects, in particular Morocco’s blue economy development program, which aims to integrate climate action into coastal tourism and fisheries management in targeted areas or where TTA region has been selected as a pilot site.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The alignment of proposed blue economy actions in the TTA region with the strategic objectives of the coastal plan TTA could maximize the positive impacts and coherence of the actions undertaken. These objectives also include preserving and restoring coastal ecosystems, promoting a green and sustainable economy, improving resilience to climate change, preserving natural and cultural heritage, promoting participatory governance and coordinating actions between different stakeholders. The coastal plan TTA represents an opportunity to establish a process for structuring genuine territorial governance. It is also a framework for promoting measures and operational projects. It must be a flexible, evolving instrument, always open to review in the light of evolving issues and updated projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adaptation measures implemented in the case<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adaptation through integrated coastal zone management plans and programmes.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n

The preparation of the Coastal Plan TTA was part of a larger UNEP\/GEF project MedProgramme. It was developed based on Moroccan Law No. 81-12 (2015) on the coast, and the Mediterranean Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The preparation process started in 2021, with the plan finalized in April 2024, with the process of adoption by authorities still ongoing at the time of writing (as of July 2024). Among the Project activities, several were designed to contribute to the Coastal Plan TTA, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n