High Atlas Mountains Communities Endeavor to Preserve Indigenous Farming – UNDP

On World Environment Day celebrated on 5 June each year, UNDP Morocco made a special mention of the Imegdale territory, located in the Western High Atlas range, pointing out that the oldest section of the range, the High Atlas, “has a wide variety of natural and cultural assets, which cohere as a unique landscape and ecosystem.”

The delicate balance between indigenous farming practices and conservation in Morocco is under threat, but according to the UN, local communities in the Western High Atlas Mountains are finding ways to preserve traditions and still make a living from the land, UNDP Morocco said.

The local population, who live in the mountainous south of the country, have traditionally been able to conserve the unique biodiversity of the region and preserve their cultural heritage. However, climate change as well as the over-exploitation of medicinal plants – plus an exodus of young people – means their symbiotic relationship with the land may no longer be sustainable, warned the UN agency.

The UNDP, with other partners, has supported the local population to manage and protect the natural resources on which they rely, it recalled.