06 Jul Morocco invest over $22 million in Wildfire control

Last month, Morocco set forth to invest over $22 million in wildfire prevention and control, as a result of northern provinces facing continually rising temperatures.

Climate change is on everyone’s mind as summer temperatures reach global highs.

Morocco is no exception, as northern provinces reach higher and higher temperatures. In July 2022, as temperatures soared triggered by the worst drought to grip the country in over three decades, northern Morocco was hit by devastating wildfires that devoured the forests of Taza, Tetouan, and Larache. The fires caused clouds of thick smoke.

Rising temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius and droughts have been identified as the primary causes of these ferocious blazes.

To combat this, the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) has allocated a budget of 200 million DH (around $22 million) for forest fire prevention and control.

The increase in budget is in part to allow ANEF to invest in new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and big data, allowing for better tracking and understanding of wildfires.

Through this better tracking, fire teams can make appropriate moves to combat wildfires and halt their spread at earlier stages.