Abstract
For the purpose of achieving sustainable development in the context of a changing climate, the development and implementation of tripartite cooperation tools, into a transatlantic cooperation framework, is the crux of a project to bring about a transdisciplinary platform focused on research, technology, and innovation in drylands. It finds its roots in the Agadir Declaration of May 2016. The objective of the platform is to set up a “hub or rear base” at the University of Ibn Zohr in Agadir to develop transdisciplinary research and training mechanisms on climate change and its impacts on the functioning of ecosystems and their goods and services in arid and semiarid regions. Currently, the main challenge to achieve sustainable development resides in ensuring that decision-making processes are supported by science. How to translate scientific knowledge on complex long-term issues at the national, cross-regional, and transatlantic scale into better informed public policy remains an open question for multi-sectoral partnerships. The main thread underlying this chapter relates to the establishment of interface models between science and policy: what challenges will the Agadir Platform assume to bridge various forms of interdisciplinary science and policy expertise to inform decision-makers on long-term wicked problems related to drylands socio-ecological systems?
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Twitter: @LucGnacadja (11/12/2018).
- 2.
Hakima El Haité, Former Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, in charge of Environment.
- 3.
The new Constitution (2011) promotes sustainable economic development, in the spirit of environmental protection. Moreover, the National Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development (Charte Nationale de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable 2009) enacted through the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) for 2017–2030 also focuses on climate resilient development strategies. In 2014, Morocco developed its National Climate Change Policy (MCCP) as a coordination tool for measures and initiatives on climate change, providing an operational framework for the development of medium- and long-term strategies. In 2015, Morocco submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) presented to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in perspective of the COP21 held in Paris (2015). The main objective identified by the Moroccan authorities has been to make the “territory and civilization more resilient to climate change while ensuring a climate transition to a low-carbon economy” (INDC 2015).
- 4.
In the Souss-Massa region, located in southwestern Morocco, three factors determine its semiarid Mediterranean climate, namely relief, ocean coast, and the Sahara. Thus, the north of the region, dominated by Atlas, is characterized by a semiarid to humid climate progressing towards the plain. The latter, which occupies the sunken relief of the Atlas and the basins of Souss and Massa, has an arid climate despite a wide opening on the Atlantic. Finally, the southern and southeastern part of the region that makes up the north side is covered by the Sahara Desert climate. The precipitations are highly variable in space and time with a rainfall average of 200 mm/year (Bouragba et al. 2011; Seif-Ennasr et al. 2017).
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
The International Network for the Sustainability of Drylands is comprised of various members from diverse sectors like academic and government institutions, NGOs, civil associations, students, and the civil society including indigenous communities. These members are organized to analyze collaborative actions that strengthen agenda for the dryland regions and respond to the UN sustainable development goals. For these actions, the network requires the implementation of multilateral and inter-institutional collaborations, which are inclusive considering all the stakeholders including the decision-makers. It also provides the possibility to establish strong collaborations with members of Latin America, North Africa and Europe (source: www.risza.com.mx).
- 8.
It concerns also the Atlantic and Pacific variabilities from the interannual to millennium time scales.
- 9.
CHAngement et vaRIabilitéS cliMAtiques passés et actuelles au Maroc: forçages, réponses, impacts et rétroactions—Bases pour la proposition de solutions d’adaptations (Past and current climate change and variability in Morocco: forcing, responses, impacts, and feedback—Basis for proposing adaptation solutions).
- 10.
CGIAR research program on Dryland system: http://drylandsystems.cgiar.org.
- 11.
Article 7 of the Paris Agreement.
- 12.
Article 7 of the Paris Agreement.
- 13.
Article 9 of the Paris Agreement.
- 14.
Target 17.9 of the Sustainable Development Agenda (2030 Agenda).
- 15.
Target 17.18 of the Sustainable Development Agenda (2030 Agenda).
- 16.
Target 17.7 of the Sustainable Development Agenda (2030 Agenda).
References
Adger NW, Dessai S, Goulden M, Hulme M, Lorenzoni I, Nelson DR, Naess LO, Wolf J, Wreford A (2009) Are there social limits to adaptation to climate change? Clim Chang 93:335–354
Bar-Yam Y, Kantor D (2018) A mathematical theory of interpersonal interactions and group behavior
Bastin JF, Berrahmouni N, Grainger A, Maniatis D, Mollicone D, Moore R, Patriarca C, Picard N, Sparrow B, Abraham EM, Aloui K, Atesoglu A, Attore F, Bassüllü C, Bey A, Garzuglia M, García-Montero L, Groot N, Guerin G, Laestadius L, Lowe AJ, Mamane B, Marchi G, Patterson P, Rezende M, Ricci S, Salcedo I, Sanchez-Paus Diaz A, Stolle F, Surappaeva V, Castro R (2017) The extent of forest in the dryland biomes. Science 6338:635–638
Bouragba L, Mudry J, Bouchaou L, Hsissou Y, Krimissa M, Tagma T, Michelot JL (2011) Isotopes and groundwater management strategies under semi-arid area: case of Souss upstream basin. Appl Radiat Isot 69(7):1084–1093
Burkett VR, Suarez AG, Bindi M, Conde C, Mukerji R, Prather MJ, St. Clair AL, Yohe GW (2014) Point of departure. In: Field CB, Barros VR, Dokken DJ, Mach KJ, Mastrandrea MD, Bilir TE, Chatterjee M, Ebi KL, Estrada YO, Genova RC, Girma B, Kissel ES, Levy AN, MacCracken S, Mastrandrea PR, White LL (eds) Climate change 2014: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Part A: global and sectoral aspects. Contribution of working group II to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 169–194
Carpenter SR, Turner MG (2000) Hares and tortoises: interactions of fast and slow variables in ecosystems. Ecosystems 3:495–497
Chan S, Brandi C, Bauer S (2016) Aligning transnational climate action with international climate governance: the road from Paris. RECIEL 25(2). ISSN2050-0386
Chapin FS, Torn MS, Tateno M (1996) Principles of Ecosystem Sustainability. The American Naturalist 148(6):1016–1037
Chapin FS III, Folke C, Kofinas GP (2009) A framework for understanding change. In: Chapin FS III et al (eds) Principles of ecosystem stewardship. Springer Science, New York
Cherlet M, Hutchinson C, Reynolds J, Hill J, Sommer S, von Maltitz G (eds) (2018) World atlas of desertification. Publication Office of the European Union, Luxembourg
Coppock DL, Fernández-Giménez M, Hiernaux P, Huber-Sannwald E, Schloeder C, Valdivia C, Arrendondo JT, Jacobs M, Turin C, Turner M (2017) Rangelands in developing nations: conceptual advances and societal implications. In: Briske D (ed) Rangeland systems: processes, management, and challenges. Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Berlin, pp 569–641
Head BW (2008) Wicked problems in public policy. Publ Pol 3(2):101–118. Curtin University of Technology. ISSN 1833-2110
Huang J, Yu H, Guan X, Wang G, Guo R (2015) Accelerated dryland expansion under climate change. Nat Clim Chang 6(2):166–171
Irwin, T (2018) The Emerging Transition Design Approach. 10.21606/dma.2017.210.
Knight J-R, Allan R-J, Folland C-K, Vellinga M, Mann M (2005) A signature of persistent natural thermohaline circulation cycles in observed climate. Geophys Res Lett 32. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024233
Liu H-Y, Kobernus M (2016) Chapter 7: citizen science and its role in sustainable development: status, trends, issues, and opportunities. In: Analyzing the role of citizen science in modern research (advances in knowledge acquisition, transfer, and management). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0962-2.ch007
Maaroof A (2015) Big data and the 2030 sustainable development agenda. Report for UN-ESCAP. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/1_Big%20Data%202030%20Agenda_stock-taking%20report_25.01.16.pdf
Marengo J, Tomasella J, Alves L-M, Soares W-R, Rodriguez D-A (2011) The drought of 2010 in the context of historical droughts in the Amazon region Jose A. Geophys Res Lett 38:2011. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL047436
Méndez M, Magaña V (2010) Regional aspects of prolonged meteorological droughts over Mexico and Central America. J Clim 23(5):1175–1188 https://doi.org/10.1175/2009JCLI3080.1
Morocco Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (Indc) Under The UNFCCC, (2015). Available at: https://thecvf.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Morocco-INDC-submitted-to-UNFCCC-5-june-2015.pdf
Olsson P (2003) Building capacity for resilience in social-ecological systems. Stockholm University, Stockholm
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Global Science Forum (2011) Report on opportunities, challenges and good practices in International Research Cooperation between developed and developing countries, Paris, France
Ropelewski CF, Halpert MS (1989) Precipitation patterns associated with the high index phase of the southern oscillation. J Clim 2:268–284
Sabel CF, Victor DG (2016) Making the Paris process more effective: a new approach to policy coordination on global climate change. Policy analysis brief. The Stanley Foundation, Muscatine
Seif-Ennasr M, Hirich A, Zine El Abidine EM, Choukr-Allah R, Zaaboul R, Nrhira A, Malki M, Bouchaou L, Beraaouz E (2017) Assessment of global change impacts on groundwater resources in Souss-Massa basin. Water resources in arid areas: the way forward. Springer, Cham, pp 115–140. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51856-5_8
Stafford-Smith M, Huigen J (2009) From desert syndrome to desert system: developing a science for desert living
Stafford-Smith DM, Griggs D, Gaffney O, Ullah F, Reyers B, Kanie N, Stigson B, Shrivastava P, Leach M, O’Connell D (2017) Integration: the key to implementing the sustainable development goals. Sustain Sci 12:911–919
Stiglitz J, Ocampo JA, Spiegel S, French-Davis R, Nayyar D (2006) Stability with growth: macroeconomics, liberalization and development. Oxford University Press, Oxford. https://doi.org/10.1093/0199288143.001.0001
Sun J, Yang K (2016) The wicked problem of climate change: a new approach based on social mess and fragmentation. MDPI. Sustainability 8:1312. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121312
United Nations (2015) Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. A/RES/70/1
United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ESC) (2008) Background study for the development cooperation forum. Trends in South-South and triangular development cooperation. New York, USA
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (2015) Decision 1.CP/21, Adoption of the Paris Agreement. http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php
Verstraete, M, Stafford Smith M, Scholes R (2009) Designing an integrated global monitoring system for drylands. Proceedings, 33rd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, ISRSE 2009. 898–901
Wise RM, Fazey I, Stafford-Smith DM, Park SE, Eakin HC, Van Gardenen AERM, Campbell B (2014) Reconceptualizing adaptation to climate change as part of pathways of change and response. Glob Environ Chang 28:325–336
Acknowledgements
The authors greately appreciate stimulating discussions and dialogues with members of the RISZA network and the Agadir Platform during many workshops and group meetings in Mexico and Morocco, in particular special thanks to Dr. Omar Halli and Dr. Omar Akhayat, Director and Vice-Director, respectively of the Ibn Zhor University in Agadir. Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald gratefully acknowledges financial support from CONACYT (projects 280605, 293793, PDCPN-2017/5036). Special thanks also to the CHARISMA project for the constructive inputs and recommendations. The authors also thank IRD researchers and engineers who played an important role into the construction and the implementation of this project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rizzo, A. et al. (2020). The Agadir Platform: A Transatlantic Cooperation to Achieve Sustainable Drylands. In: Lucatello, S., Huber-Sannwald, E., Espejel, I., Martínez-Tagüeña, N. (eds) Stewardship of Future Drylands and Climate Change in the Global South. Springer Climate. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22464-6_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22464-6_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-22463-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-22464-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)