Deadly Air: Morocco’s Pollution Crisis Claims 15 Lives Daily, Costs Billions

These alarming figures come from the Moroccan Network for the Defense of the Right to Health and the Right to Life, which published its report on air pollution in Morocco, according to which it is urgent that the authorities act to stop the bleeding.

According to the study, this increase in deaths is attributable to dependence on fossil fuels. The black smoke emitted by coal-fired power plants is the source of several chronic diseases, the report points out. A situation that is likely to worsen further given the exponential energy needs of the Kingdom driven by industrialization, warn the experts.

By region, the inhabitants of the Casablanca-Settat region are more vulnerable than others to respiratory diseases, due to air pollution. The city accounts for 50% of the industrial activity in the kingdom and has about 20% of the people infected by diseases caused by air pollution.

Regarding water pollution, the network reports that 28% of Morocco’s water sources are threatened by pollution, and that solid waste, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and chemicals pose the greatest direct threat to groundwater resources and the health of the Moroccan population.