Workshop on Environmental Safeguards

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Workshop on international practices in environmental protection and environmental impact studies in Morocco-June 25, 2008Rabat

June 2008 - In the framework of support to the current process of improving environmental impact studies in Morocco, the World Bank in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Water and the Environment, is organizing a workshop on international practices in environmental protection and the opportunities to improve the Moroccan system of impact studies.

Various development stakeholders are participating to discuss the Moroccan experience and the international practices regarding environmental impact assessments.

Representatives from relevant ministries (Agriculture, Rural Development and Marine Fisheries, Energy and Mines, Industry, Interior, General Affairs and Finance), representatives from civil society, the media, and various international institutions active in the environment sector, as well as international and national experts, will take part in the workshop.

The objectives of this workshop are:

• To introduce international experiences in terms of monitoring, evaluation and observation of the environment;
  
  
• To evaluate the progress made in terms of regulatory and institutional frameworks linked to the environmental impact assessments in Morocco and to identify areas of progress.

A workshop on international practices in environmental protection and the opportunities to improve the Moroccan system of impact studies

In consideration of the aforementioned objectives, the solid waste and wastewater disposal and treatment sectors are of particular concern.

This workshop will also be the opportunity to introduce the preliminary results of an evaluation of the Moroccan system of impact studies that has been conducted by the World Bank, with a focus on the solid waste sector.

“Draft safeguards diagnostic review of the Moroccan environmental impact assessment system”

This new study was conducted following the recent decision of the Executive Board of the World Bank authorizing, as a pilot project, the use of national environmental impact study systems in a few select countries with favorable conditions.

The analysis conducted by the Bank analyzes the regulatory framework, in one or more sectors, based on eleven basic principles considered essential for ensuring the consistency and the relevancy of all environmental evaluation systems. The analysis also includes an evaluation of the application of the regulatory framework.

Based on the findings of this analysis, the gaps with regard to the principles mentioned above as well as the eventual differences in terms of application of the regulations are identified and corrective measures are proposed in order to correct the aforementioned discrepancies. 

A process for providing technical assistance will be implemented in order to support interested countries interesting in improving their regulatory and institutional frameworks in the area of environmental protection.

Hocine Chalal, Regional Safeguards Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa region (World Bank), notes that “The completion of the regulatory and institutional structure of Morocco regarding its EIA system requires only limited additional reforms in order to reach the level of performance of internally recognized EIA systems. In addition, the willingness of   authorities to move forward indicates a strong commitment to continuous improvement of environmental governance recognized as an integral part of the development process in Morocco".

Once this process completed, the Bank has committed to use the country system of impact studies in the sectors to be considered, which will have, as a consequence, a reduction in the transaction costs associated usually with the application of the guidelines and policies of the World Bank, as well as of those of most of the other multilateral donor agencies that have indicated their interest in such an approach.

Finally, completion of the regulatory and institutional structure related to the environmental impact assessment system, will, most likely, have positive economic and political implications with a positive impact on the image of the country at the international level.