Environmental Sustainability Policy, Polity, and Politics in Morocco

The third chapter introduces and discusses the terms and concepts of sustainable development and environmental sustainability and lays the groundwork for understanding modern-day environmental politics in Morocco. It begins with a presentation of the history of environmental degradation and preservation in Morocco (and North Africa generally) from a political/historical ecology perspective. Special emphasis is placed on the influence Roman-era and colonial-period perceptions of North Africa’s nature has had on socio-political development to this day. The chapter continues by introducing Morocco’s political apparatus. It investigates the modern state’s locus of power and political agency, and presents current political and institutional development immediately relevant to Morocco’s environmental politics.