Is Morocco leading on the path toward pro-environment development?

Climate change is forcing countries across the world to rethink their positions on energy consumption and future development plans. For one country at the far edge of the Middle East, plans for environmentally friendly development may be setting a prime example for how to combat threats growing from changes to earth’s climate.

Morocco has been undergoing and planning some big changes lately. From an environmental police task force to constructing Africa’s first eco-city, there seems to be no stopping the country on its path toward being more climate change conscious.

But there are big reasons for that. Like the rest of the world, Morocco is having to deal with the consequences of urban development and its impact on the environment. In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Morocco has the highest number of pollution-induced deaths for children under the age of five in North Africa, beating out heavily polluted neighbors like Egypt.

Among Morocco’s biggest plans for development is what is being dubbed as Africa’s first eco-city: Zenata. Located on the outskirts of Casablanca, the Zenata Development Company is building a city that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

According to a report by Devex, the creators of Zenata are focusing on “an ecologically responsible design that maximizes use of natural resources at a city scale. 30% of the city’s first development phase has been set aside as green space, with a central park to promote biodiversity.

Read the full article via Because Magazine.

[Photo by Richard Allaway | Flickr]