Sand trafficking: Morocco’s silent menace

2021-12-08

Rapid and extensive sand extraction is devastating the environment, and yet the problem is largely ignored by most of Morocco’s population. The industry has attracted the attention of organised crime syndicates whose involvement is facilitated by state corruption.

This seminar will examine the problem, highlighting the links between the destruction of beaches and the high demand for Morocco’s sand. It will cover the environmental damage to fragile coastal ecosystems and how traffickers’ role in the illegal extraction makes dealing with the crime a complex task.

Chairperson: Mohamed Daghar, ENACT Regional Coordinator – Eastern Africa, ISS Nairobi

Opening remarks: European Union Commission, TBC

Speakers:

Abdelkader Abderrahmane, ENACT Senior Researcher, ISS

Prof Aicha Benmohammedi, Director, Environmental Geo-sciences, University of Ibn Tofail, Morocco and President of the Moroccan Association for the Protection and Durable Development of the Littoral

Dr Kate Dawson, Postdoctoral Fellow, Economic and Social Research Council, London School of Economics

Kiran Pereira, author of ‘Sand Stories’ and founder of sandstories.org

Enquiries:

Abdelkader Abderrahmane, Email: [email protected]

Photo © Geography and You