Safeguarding and development of the Marrakech palm grove – La Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Protection de l’Environnement

Restoration of Historic Parks and Garden

The safeguarding and development of the palm grove of Marrakech

The Palm grove of Marrakech, a millenary heritage site, has been undergoing a preservation program at the request of the HM. King Mohammed VI in 2006 and has since been entrusted to the Foundation.

Rescued from decay

The renowned palm grove of Marrakech, stretching its beauty over more than 12,000 hectares, was threatened despite several legal texts protecting it. In response to this observation, His Majesty King Mohammed VI entrusted Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa with the task of protecting and developing it in 2007.

The safeguarding and development program, launched in March 2007, began with cleaning up the site and rehabilitating the plantations: cleaning, pruning, selecting suitable varieties, setting up a communal nursery and planting over 600,000 young palm trees. Irrigation facilities were installed: wells, re-use of treated water from the city's treatment plant....

Awareness-raising and education work was carried out with all audiences: schoolchildren in Eco-Schools, Green Key labeling of hotel establishments, educational trails and walking paths.

A pilot project to support farming families is under way to stabilize long-established populations in the area, by introducing practices that are both more respectful of the environment and more profitable.

Restoration of Historic Parks and Garden

The safeguarding and development of the palm grove of Marrakech

The Goals

Introduction
objectives
Implementation
Achievements

Objectives of the program for the Safeguarding and Development of the Marrakech Palm Grove are to:

Protect the Palm Grove of Marrakech from damage

Provide it with sustainable means of survival and renewal

Contribute to stopping the degradation of the Palm grove and activate legal and regulatory protections

Rehabilitate, regenerate and maintain plantations

Sensitize and educate local residents and visitors

Promote sustainable agriculture to settle populations and maintain the palm grove

Implementation

The Foundation brought together public institutions, administrations and private partners to immediately rescue the endangered palm grove, with a long-term strategy.

Establishing institutional mesures of coordination: high-level steering committee, framework agreements with institutional partners, observatory, etc.