The Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima (TTA) region in northern Morocco is taking an important step toward more sustainable coastal management with the finalization of its Schéma Régional du Littoral (SRL TTA), a regional coastal plan developed under the GEF MedProgramme.
The announcement was made during the MedProgramme National Outreach Workshop held in Rabat on 5 May 2026 and further presented to regional stakeholders in Tangier on 6 May 2026. The events brought together national authorities, regional institutions, technical experts, and development partners to review progress and discuss the next steps for finalisation, expected by the end of June 2026.
The SRL TTA provides an integrated framework to guide coastal development, climate resilience, ecosystem protection, and pollution reduction across one of Morocco’s most dynamic coastal regions. Stretching from the Atlantic coast and the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean coast, the region faces increasing pressure from rapid urban sprawl, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, high exposure to natural hazards, and social disparities.
To address these challenges and reverse unsustainable trends, Morocco launched the SRL TTA with a dual strategic objective:
- to promote more sustainable coastal development and
- strengthen the region’s resilience to climate change.
The SRL TTA coastal plan promotes an integrated “source-to-sea” approach that connects watershed management, coastal planning, biodiversity protection, and climate adaptation. It aims to improve coordination between sectors and institutions while supporting sustainable blue economy opportunities and reducing pressures on sensitive coastal and marine ecosystems.
The process of preparing the SRL TTA combined technical expertise with the stakeholder participatory method Climagine, which, through a series of participatory workshops, enabled the co-creation of a shared vision for the TTA coastline and the proposal of sustainability indicators and an alternative scenario that would make it possible to achieve that shared vision.
This prospective systemic analysis thus identified the priority actions to be implemented to move toward the future sustainability of the TTA coastline. These actions were supplemented by operational measures derived from the strategic objectives of the SRL TTA coastal plan. They generally concern the sustainable use and protection of the coastal zone, the mitigation of climate change impacts, the fight against pollution, social equity, and the coastal sustainable development. To ensure integrated coastal management and greater climate resilience of the region’s coastline, policy recommendations—particularly regarding governance, training and awareness-raising, research and development, and the promotion of ICZM—are also proposed to support and optimize the technical measures.
The SRL TTA coastal plan builds on ongoing work implemented by PAP/RAC in the Mediterranean under the MedProgramme, including similar ICZM and source-to-sea initiatives in Montenegro, Lebanon, Tunisia and Albania. In particular, the experience mirrors the work carried out in Boka Kotorska Bay in Montenegro, where integrated coastal management planning has helped strengthen coordination among institutions and stakeholders while addressing growing environmental pressures in a sensitive coastal area.
In Morocco, the SRL TTA is expected to become a strategic tool for balancing development needs with ecosystem protection and climate resilience. During the outreach workshops, participants highlighted the importance of moving from planning to implementation, particularly paying attention to pilot sites and hotspots, and ensuring that the momentum created through the MedProgramme continues beyond the project lifetime. Stakeholders also emphasized the need for stronger coordination and collaboration across sectors and governance levels to address interconnected environmental challenges affecting the region.
By advancing the finalization of the SRL TTA, Morocco reinforces regional efforts under the Barcelona Convention and the UNEP/MAP system to promote integrated coastal zone management and sustainable development across the Mediterranean. The initiative demonstrates how coordinated planning, stakeholder engagement, and source-to-sea approaches can support healthier ecosystems and more resilient coastal communities.
As Mediterranean countries continue to face increasing climate and pollution pressures, Morocco's SRL TTA coastal plan offers an example of how regional cooperation and integrated governance can help translate environmental commitments into concrete action on the ground.
About the MedProgramme
The GEF MedProgramme is a multi-focal regional initiative coordinated by UNEP/MAP and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The programme supports Mediterranean countries in addressing major environmental challenges affecting coastal and marine ecosystems through integrated approaches to pollution reduction, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and sustainable coastal management.