The Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, chaired by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, celebrates UN World Oceans Day on June 8, 2023, with activities to educate on the importance of preserving the world’s oceans, as an essential source of climate regulation and human sustenance.

The Foundation is deeply committed to protecting the Ocean.  On May 28, it awarded the Lalla Hasnaa Sustainable Coastline Trophies to corporate partners, civil-society associations, and coastal communities actively engaged in protecting beaches, coastlines, seas, and oceans.

These Trophies are now a component of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Sciences for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), and the Foundation is a founding member of the Alliance that supports it.  Foundation Chair, HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, is also a Patron of this Decade, initiated by the United Nations to develop scientific knowledge of the Ocean to better preserve it.

The Foundation will hold a range of educational actions for this global celebration.  Over 900 Eco-Schoolers, Young Reporters for the Environment, and university students from Morocco’s eight coastal regions, along with Foundation partners, will visit a number of sites for a first-hand ocean experience.  Students from Agadir will discover the National Institute of Fisheries Research’s Charif Idrissi scientific boat. Others will visit laboratories, historic lighthouses like the one at Cap Spartel, and marinas at Marina Smir and Saïdia.

Over 120 participants are expected for this major awareness-raising conference at the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training.  This event presents the Ocean from a variety of perspectives. One such perspective, “Raconte-moi l’Océan par les comptes et des histoires” (Tell me the Ocean – Tales and Stories), will primarily feature youth speakers.  Another, “Raconte-moi l’Océan par les chiffres et la science,” (Tell me the Ocean in Facts and Figures), will feature scientific experts outlining local experiences to illustrate the extensive scientific expertise on the subject, while a third, “Raconte-moi l’Océan par ton action” (Tell me the Ocean in Action), spotlights local initiatives to protect the Ocean.

As summer approaches, the Foundation gears up for the 22nd edition of its flagship Clean Beaches program, making sure visitors to over 100 of the Kingdom’s busiest beaches enjoy a clean, safe, and vibrant environment. Operation #b7arblaplastic launches for a 4th consecutive year, with a special focus on recycling the massive quantities of plastic waste it collects on the beach every summer.