The Canadian government recently announced in Montreal an additional $255 million in funding to protect biodiversity in several countries, including Morocco. The Moroccan share of these funds is earmarked for the Forêts du Maroc 2020-2030 reforestation strategy.
The Moroccan forestry development strategy, “Forêts du Maroc 2020-2030”, aims to curb the degradation of forest ecosystems and establish a balance between conservation and development of the forest and its resources.
With a current rate of 50,000 hectares of trees planted per year, for a reforestation objective of 500,000 hectares by 2030, this strategy aims to make up for 30 years of degradation of national forest areas, to strengthen the competitiveness of the sector and ensure its modernization, to reconcile Moroccans with the forest and to develop a forest heritage for all generations and social groups, according to a sustainable management model, inclusive and wealth generating.
Canadian funds to be administered by the GEF
The funding announced by Canada will be allocated through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a funding system for international environmental action.
In addition to Morocco’s 2020-2030 reforestation strategy, two other projects will benefit from Canadian funding, namely the United Nations Development Programme’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), and climate action initiatives in West Africa.
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The $255 million in funding is in addition to the $350 million announced three days earlier by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The funds place Canada in seventh place among GEF contributors. Over the past year, the North American country has allocated $1.5 billion to the GEF.
Boris Ngounou