Moroccan Environmentalists Petition Against Urban Palm Tree Planting

The random planting of palm trees is "a professional error and a serious environmental aberration", can be read in this petition addressed to the Minister of National Land Use Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, Fatima-Zahra Mansouri and to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali. According to "Maroc Environnement 2050", palm tree seedlings should only be planted in oasis areas, and this, for several reasons. Planted outside their appropriate environment, they tend to wither due to the inhospitable climate, the association notes. It notes that the regions south of Marrakech and Feguig, a town just south of Oujda, are the only areas that allow the planting of palm trees without too much risk.

"Maroc Environnement 2050" also mentions the high cost of planting and maintaining palm trees, especially the largest ones. The association also points out that unless they are grouped together, palm trees cannot provide cities with the necessary shade, nor fulfill the same ecological functions as other trees, such as absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

To date, the petition has reached 1,000 signatures. Not very satisfactory for Salima Belemkaddem, president of this association, who intends to bring the grievances directly to ministers Fatima-Zahra Mansouri and Leila Benali. "The environment cannot wait," she added.