Éduquer et communiquer en matière de changements climatiques : Défis et possibilités

Les éducateurs et agents de communication en matière de changements climatiques font face à de nombreux défis. Les concepts scientifiques reliés au climat sont souvent mal interprétés. Les citoyens estiment que les changements climatiques auront peu d’impacts sur leur propre vie. Ils perçoivent peu les changements graduels dans leur environnement. Les comportements de surconsommation rapportent pouvoir, plaisir et reconnaissance. Plusieurs personnes, déconnectées du milieu naturel, ont tendance à prendre des décisions émotives et à résoudre rapidement les problèmes environnementaux. À partir des travaux de recherche dans le domaine, des stratégies de communication et d’éducation sont proposées pour favoriser chez les apprenants une meilleure compréhension des changements climatiques, leur communiquer l’urgence d’agir, les motiver à adopter des comportements d’atténuation et les rendre aptes à implanter des mesures d’adaptation.Educating and communicating about climate change is challenging. Climate change scientific concepts are often misunderstood. People believe that climate change will have few impacts on their own life. People have difficulty to perceive gradual environmental changes. Overconsumption brings people power, pleasure and recognition. People, disconnected from nature, tend to make emotional decisions and to quickly solve environmental problems. Drawn from research, climate change communication and education strategies are presented for helping learners to better understand climate change, communicating the urgency to act, motivating the adoption of mitigation behaviours and reinforcing people’s skills for implementing adaptations

Impact of land use and vegetation cover on risks of erosion in the Ourika Watershed (Morocco)

Results of mapping demonstrated significant erosion in the Ourika watershed. Soil loss below the tolerance level (<7 t/ha/year) represented only 4% of the area. The objective was to map the risks of water erosion using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and GIS, and highlight the role of land use and vegetation cover in regulation for risks of erosion. Dense forests, moderately dense forests and arboriculture not mixed with cereal growing protected the soil against erosion, improved physical and chemical soil characteristics, facilitated the infiltration of water into the soil, and limited runoff and the risk of erosion

La pensée design et Facebook au service de la résolution d'un problème d'inondation : Une étude de cas au Maroc

Au Maroc, les inondations aggravées par les changements climatiques endommagent ou polluent les sources d’eau potable. Alors que les victimes cherchent des mesures d’adaptation, on se demande comment accompagner adéquatement des citoyens dans la résolution de tels problèmes environnementaux complexes. L’approche créative de la pensée design et l’usage participatif de Facebook ont été choisis pour accompagner dix femmes marocaines dans la résolution d’un problème d’eau potable causé par les inondations. En pensée design, l’analyse des besoins, l’abduction et le prototypage rapide sont promus. Facebook, comme d’autres outils numériques, peut faciliter la définition d'un problème, la discussion et l'élaboration de solutions. À l’aide de vidéos, de photos et de commentaires, les participantes ont partagé sur Facebook leur expérience des inondations, puis résolu ensemble le problème de la piètre qualité de leur eau potable. La pensée design et Facebook ont permis aux femmes d’explorer plusieurs dimensions du problème, puis de prototyper et d’appliquer des solutions de purification d’eau réalistes pour leur milieu. C’est la dimension créative de la démarche et l’utilisation de divers médias qui permet d’établir ici un lien avec le processus artistique.In Morocco, floods worsened by climate change damage or pollute drinkable water sources. While victims seek accommodation, there is a question of how to adequately support citizens in addressing such complex environmental issues. Design thinking and Facebook were chosen in order to accompany ten Moroccan women in solving a problem with drinking water caused by flooding. In design thinking, needs analysis, abduction and rapid prototyping are promoted. Like other social networks, Facebook could facilitate problems definition, discussion and elaboration of solutions. With the help of videos, pictures and comments, the participants shared on Facebook their experience on flooding, and tried to solve together their drinking water problem. Design thinking and Facebook allowed these women to explore many aspects of the problem, and to prototype and implement diverse realistic and locally adapted water purification solutions. It is the creative dimension of this initiative, and the use of diverse media that allows establishing here a link with the artistic process

Spatial Prediction of Soil Organic Carbon Stock in the Moroccan High Atlas Using Machine Learning

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential component, which soil quality depends on. Thus, understanding the spatial distribution and controlling factors of SOC is paramount to achieving sustainable soil management. In this study, SOC prediction for the Ourika watershed in Morocco was done using four machine learning (ML) algorithms: Cubist, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and gradient boosting machine (GBM). A total of 420 soil samples were collected at three different depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm) from which SOC concentration and bulk density (BD) were measured, and consequently SOC stock (SOCS) was determined. Modeling data included 88 variables incorporating environmental covariates, including soil properties, climate, topography, and remote sensing variables used as predictors. The results showed that RF (R-2 = 0.79, RMSE = 1.2%) and Cubist (R-2 = 0.77, RMSE = 1.2%) were the most accurate models for predicting SOC, while none of the models were satisfactory in predicting BD across the watershed. As with SOC, Cubist (R-2 = 0.86, RMSE = 11.62 t/ha) and RF (R-2 = 0.79, RMSE = 13.26 t/ha) exhibited the highest predictive power for SOCS. Land use/land cover (LU/LC) was the most critical factor in predicting SOC and SOCS, followed by soil properties and bioclimatic variables. Both combinations of bioclimatic-topographic variables and soil properties-remote sensing variables were shown to improve prediction performance. Our findings show that ML algorithms can be a viable tool for spatial modeling of SOC in mountainous Mediterranean regions, such as the study area

Predicting potential distribution area of thuriferous juniper (Juniperus thurifera) in Morocco

La conservation et la bonne gestion des espèces forestières menacées de dégradation, impose la connaissance de leurs aires de distribution potentielle et des facteurs environnementaux conditionnant leur répartition. Le présent article traite de l'identification des facteurs environnementaux régissant la répartition géographique du genévrier thurifère (Juniperus thurifera L. ssp. africana (Maire) Gauquelin &amp; al.) au Maroc et la cartographie de son aire potentielle sous les conditions climatiques actuelles. L’approche adoptée s’est basée sur le recours à l’algorithme de maximum d’entropie. Le modèle ajusté a permis d'avoir une prédiction d’excellente qualité (AUC = 0,938). Les paramètres environnementaux les plus significatifs conditionnant la distribution du genévrier thurifère au Maroc sont la température minimale du mois le plus froid, la saisonnalité de la température et l'altitude. L’utilisation du modèle a permis d’établir la carte de l'aire potentielle. Celle-ci montre qu'une grande superficie des régions montagneuses de l'Atlas convient à l'expansion des peuplements du genévrier thurifère. L'aire de répartition actuelle ne représente que 5% de l'habitat favorable à cette espèce. Ces résultats pourraient aider les gestionnaires forestiers à mieux identifier les sites appropriés pour la réhabilitation de cette espèce vulnérable dont la superficie est en nette régression. Mots-clés&nbsp;: Maroc, Genévrier thurifère, Entropie maximale, MaxEnt, Modélisation, distribution des espèces, Variables bioclimatiquesConservation and good management of endangered forest species require knowledge of their potential spatial distribution and the environmental factors defining this distribution. The present paper deals with the identification of environmental factors controlling the spatial distribution of thuriferous juniper (Juniperus thurifera L. ssp. africana (Maire) Gauquelin &amp; al.) in Morocco and the mapping of its potential distribution under current climatic conditions. The Maximum Entropy algorithm was used in this assessment. The adjusted model had an excellent predictive quality (AUC = 0.938). Environmental parameters that preclude the spatial distribution of thuriferous juniper are the minimum temperature of the coldest month, temperature seasonality and altitude. The potential area mapped showed that large parts of the Atlas Mountains are suitable to the expansion of Juniperus thurifera stands. Further, current species distribution represents only 5% of its suitable area. These findings will help decision makers and forest planners to better identify suitable sites to rehabilitate this vulnerable species, whose area is declining. Keywords: Morocco, thuriferous juniper, maximum entropy, MaxEnt, species distribution, modeling, bioclimatic variable

Heat transfer in a swirling fluidized bed with Geldart type-D particles

A relatively new variant in fluidized bed technology, designated as the swirling fluidized bed (SFB), was investigated for its heat transfer characteristics when operating with Geldart type D particles. Unlike conventional fluidized beds, the SFB imparts secondary swirling motion to the bed to enhance lateral mixing. Despite its excellent hydrodynamics, its heat transfer characteristics have not been reported in the published literature. Hence, two different sizes of spherical PVC particles (2.61mm and 3.65mm) with the presence of a center body in the bed have been studied at different velocities of the fluidizing gas. The wall-to-bed heat transfer coefficients were measured by affixing a thin constant foil heater on the bed wall. Thermocouples located at different heights on the foil show a decrease in the wall heat transfer coefficient with bed height. It was seen that only a discrete particle model which accounts for the conduction between the particle and the heat transfer surface and the gas-convective augmentation can adequately represent the mechanism of heat transfer in the swirling fluidized bed

Enabling stakeholders in Moroccan coastal management to develop sustainable climate change adaptation policies and plans : final report (28th March 2007 to 28th August 2010); annex 1

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