Morocco, like most coastal countries has experienced its share of hazards. These particular ones that I’m going to mention are considered more serious and most dangerous. They are floods and earthquakes. In the past years this country has seen a major catastrophe which devastated it. When a disaster brings on such a loss, how are country officials and citizens able to comprehend what measures to take first? This type of destruction should not have to take place in order for a country to look at the proper warning systems. Natural hazards can occur at any given time so all precautionary measures should already be in place especially if one is located in a vulnerable area.
Being that Morocco is in a location that places it in a vulnerable state, protection plans should be one of their number one priorities. Morocco has miles of beautiful coastlines which in turn attract not only tourists but the local population as well and therefore major cities become a place where most tend to gravitate to and could pose a significant risk. Most people love the idea of having a home on or near the coast with little consideration of what could happen as far as floods. Not saying that they don’t think about the fact that it could happen, but the beauty and the nature overtakes cautionary measures. Morocco's coastal zone is nearly 3500 km long which most definitely puts in a position for flooding or tsunami catastrophes. Flooding is a major risk that brings with it pollution and coastal erosion. Shoreline erosion would affect nearly half of the total beach areas respectively in the years to come. What is needed to minimize this sort of destruction would be to develop a forecasting and flood warning system which would alert citizens when flooding is about to occur. Also, seawalls would help to minimize flooding. This system and wall would need to be placed in locations along the coastal area. Having these systems and making sure that the citizens are aware of them could most definitely save more lives and lessen property damage.
Now as I discuss another main hazard, earthquakes, we venture into another outlook of devastation. Morocco is on the African plate with the closest plate boundary being the convergent boundary that runs through the Straits of Gibraltar. One major catastrophe that took place in Morocco was the earthquake in Agadir. For instance the Agadir earthquake that occurred in 1960 which registered at a 5.7 magnitude caused major damage. This event killed many people and damaged many buildings. This was a major catastrophe in history which led to the death of thousands of people. The recovery from such devastation is a long process which many people would need to get their lives back in order. Trying to rebuild all the structures and infrastructures is one thing, but trying to mentally and emotionally get your strength back is another. It will probably be many years before a catastrophe of this nature happens again. Being that this was a major event and how it changed the dynamics of this country, the recommendation that I would focus on would be National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction. These are multi-stakeholder organizations aimed at improving national coordination in disaster risk management and reduction. Morocco hasn’t seen much seismic activity over the past decade. Seismic activity is mostly in the North and Southeast part of Africa. History shows that one of the worst earthquakes that ever happened was in this country. This devastation made a big impact on how the country would rebuild itself. The measures that took place to prevent this kind of devastation from happening again with such degradation were how they now build and construct buildings. Most of the buildings are not multistory they are now built as square-type buildings for more safety.
If I were to construct a house for me to live in the country of Morocco, it would be in city called Fez. Although I would love to live on the coast in such cities as Casablanca or Agadir as most people, I really think the city of Fez would suit me just fine. It is the second largest city in Morocco and it sits between the Rif and the Middle Atlas mountains. This town is very welcoming and with the beauty of the buildings and architecture it draws you in and makes you want to see more. The city is also known to make some of the finest leathers in the world. Most people would love to live by the coast even if they know there are potential hazards that could take place. I think the best location would be inland where the dangers are less likely to happen.
www.academia.edu
www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/events/1960_02_29.php
www.preventionweb.net
www.bloomberg.com
