Elaboration d’une approche multicritère pour la recherche de sites de décharges contrôlées de classe 1 au Maroc

In this paper, we propose a multicriteria approach allowing the selection of Class 1 landfill sites, which receive household and similar waste, taking into account the environmental constraints and the orientations of urban planning documents while remaining in line with the Moroccan laws texts, essentially the law 28.00. For its application, we opted for the province of Tetouan located in the North of Morocco. The approach adopted is based on a succession of three major steps : (1) Systematic inventory of the environment and associated activities, (2) Identification of free surfaces and (3) Site selection. At the end of this work, our initial goal was achieved, the potential regulated landfill site for the province of Tetouan was selected. The standardization of this approach in order to apply it to various other areas constitutes a valuable gain of time. Its application on other zones in order to validate the relevance of the parameters retained and the robustness of the applied rating system constitutes our main perspective.Dans le présent travail, nous proposons une approche multicritère permettant la sélection de sites de décharges contrôlées de classe 1, en tenant compte des contraintes environnementales et des orientations des documents d’urbanisme tout en restant conforme aux principaux textes de lois marocains dont la loi 28.00 Maroc. L’approche adoptée repose sur la succession de trois étapes : (1) inventaire systématique du milieu et des activités associées, (2) identification des surfaces libres et (3) sélection de sites. Au terme de ce travail, notre but initial a été atteint, le site potentiel de décharge pour la province de Tétouan a été sélectionné. La standardisation de cette approche dans l’objectif de son application sur diverses autres zones constitue un gain précieux de temps. Son application sur diverses zones afin de valider la pertinence des paramètres retenus et la robustesse du système de cotation appliqué constitue notre principale perspective

Using Satellite Data to Characterize Land Surface Processes in Morocco

This study endeavors to produce a comprehensive land cover map for Morocco, addressing the absence of such a detailed map in the country. Our research encompasses ecological and climatic aspects specific to Morocco, while the methods used can be adapted to various regions and countries, considering their unique climatic conditions and land cover types. A combination of MODIS and Landsat datasets was employed to create a 5 km resolution Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) map for the entire nation. The process involved the aggregation and advanced processing of these datasets using surface processes algorithms. The resulting LULC map is the first of its kind for Morocco, shedding light on land cover distribution nationwide. It shows that approximately 13.5% of the country is covered by forests, predominantly in the Atlas and Rif mountains, Rabat–Sale, and the southern regions. Grasslands occupy over 16% of the study area, mainly in the north-east and west. Urban areas, including major cities like Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech, span nearly 3400 km². Moreover, large areas of shrublands and bare lands are evident across the country, while agricultural lands account for almost 20% of the national territory, mainly in the interior plains and north-western Atlantic coast. This study forms a crucial basis for ecological and climatic research in Morocco and serves as a valuable reference for various disciplines such as agriculture, natural resource management, and climate modeling. The mapping of biophysical parameters for each land cover class is a key feature of our research, and these parameters will be instrumental in a subsequent study examining the impact of urban development on surface climate in Morocco. Overall, our study underscores the importance of understanding biophysical parameters in addressing environmental and societal challenges

A comparative study to assess surface water's anthropic and natural vulnerability using the DKPR and RUSLE approaches. Case of the watershed of the Joumouaa dam (Coastal basin of Ghiss, North East Morocco)

The salinization of surface water in a coastal context leads to a qualitative degradation of this resource by various sources of anthropogenic and natural pollution. In this context, we present the results of a comparative study using "DKPR" and "RUSLE" models to evaluate the degree of surface water vulnerability against pollution, especially in the sub-watershed of the Joumouaa dam, a hydraulic infrastructure providing drinking water for the Targuist city. The "DKPR" model adopted as a qualitative approach involves four parameters: Accessibility of the aquatic environment (D), Water functioning of the soil and subsoil (K), Physiography watershed (P), Rainfall erosivity (R). The final result is a resource vulnerability map obtained by combining index maps of these four parameters using remote sensing and GIS. The "RUSLE" model applied as a quantitative approach integrates five factors in a multiplying function, namely: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), cover-management (C), and soil conservation practices (P) in a remote sensing and GIS environment. The analysis of the final vulnerability maps of the approaches mentioned above will be helpful support for water resource managers and decision-makers better identify areas of high risk and their protection

Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution as part of integrated management in coastal areas Case of Ghiss-Nekkour Basin (North East of Morocco)

Many methods for assessing the vulnerability of groundwater against anthropogenic pollution have been developed in the past decades. However, if aquifer vulnerability concept is well defined and the methods have been constantly tested and compared, the problem of the choice of the best method remains. The choice of the method depends on a series of factors, including the scale of the problem, the hydrogeological characteristics of the area and data availability. From a pile of a vulnerability assessing methods, the GOD, DRASTIC and SI approaches have been the most extensively tested. This is why, in the present work, we applied them to evaluate the groundwater vulnerability of the Ghiss-Nekkour aquifer, located in North East of Morocco, on its Mediterranean shore. The mapping resulting from the application of the three approaches shows a range of intervals divided into classes corresponding to fluctuating degrees of vulnerability from “very low” to “extreme”. The coincidence rate between the nitrate distribution of the groundwater and the mapped vulnerability classes is higher when the SI approach is applied. Such mapping constitutes basic documents guiding the land planner in decision-making within a framework of territorial intelligence and integrated management of the Ghiss-Nekkour coastal basin

Application of the “PRK Plus” approach to evaluate the sensitivity of the Coastal Aquifer of Ghiss-Nekkour against pollution (North East of Morocco)

In the North East of the Moroccan Mediterranean coast, 15 km south east of the Al Hoceima city, the coastal aquifer of Ghiss-Nekkour occupies an area of 100 km2. Its exploitation constitutes a priority economic imperative for the city of Al Hoceima and its hinterland, due to the tourist character of the city and the agricultural orientation of the region. In the surface of this study area, alternate rural-type habitats with autonomous sanitation systems, agricultural plots, uncultivated land, a few small industrial units, a local road network, in addition to the International Airport Charif El Idrissi. These are various potential sources of local anthropogenic groundwater contamination. Their intensity may grow with the socio-economic development that knows the region as a whole. In this work, the authors apply a new multicriteria approach of acronym “PRK Plus” to assess the sensitivity of the coastal aquifer Ghiss-Nekkour to anthropogenic pollution. The results obtained from this application show that despite the aggressiveness of the Ghiss-Nekkour groundwater pollution sources, 98% of the total surface area of the water table is “very little sensitive” to anthropogenic contamination

Geological and geomorphic investigations on palaeo-landslide dammed the Tamourghout River (Middle Atlas, Morocco)

The Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco are best known for their slope-active movements, where lithology, topographic relief, and seismotectonic are likely to cause slope instability problems. This study focused on geomorphological and geological investigations on palaeo-landslide blocked and dammed the Tamourghout river main bed (Taza, Morroco). The paper is essential due to the enormous proportions of the landslide and also because of the vast watershed lock-up by the dam (Tamda lake) and the recognition that a Tamourghout river has been and can be obstructed by a permanent landslid

Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of coastal sediments in Al-Hoceima Bay (Central Rif, Morocco)

This work aims to characterize the morphosedimentaty dynamics of the shores of Al-Hoceima Bay through geochemical and mineralogical analysis of surface sediments. The results reveal a direct relationship between marine hydrodynamic forcing on the one hand and detrital inputs from land on the other. Calcimetric analysis makes it possible to highlight the transport and deposition processes at the beaches of Al-Hoceima bay. The difference in the reasonably high carbonate contents in the western beaches (Isli, Cala Bonita and Quemado) (> 60%) and low in the beaches of the central and eastern zone (Sfiha, Souani, Salina and Lharch) (≈ 15%) are mainly due to the influence of coastal currents, littoral drift, and fluvial action. The higher levels of heavy minerals in Lharch beach (18%) are expressed by volcanic outcrops of Cap Quelates and Jbel Tamsamen. The low values at the Souani and Tayth beaches (7% on average) are due to erosion by the two types of coastal drift, NW-SE and NNE-SSW, which carry the sediments of schist origin brought by the Oueds Ghiss and Nekôr. In contrast, the reasonably high contents in the Sfiha beach (12%) are attributed to the accumulation of allochthonous sediments by NW-SE littoral drift which carries sediments of volcanometamorphic origin from Rass Quelates

Soil Salinity Prediction and Mapping Using Electromagnetic Induction and Spatial Interpolation

For better soil management in terms of salinization to ensure sustainable agriculture, a soil salinity mapping and prediction study based on the measurement of apparent electrical conductivity using an electromagnetic instrument (EM38) combined with geostatistical interpolation (kriging) is proposed herein for the soil of the semi-arid region of Beni Amir (2060 ha), Tadla, Morocco. This solution is efficient and quick to use, with the ability to provide reliable information for assessing the spatial distribution of soil salinity. The results of measurements through a spatial analysis offered us the possibility of identifying several classes of salinity that can be used for the sustainable management of land and water

Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZ) Using Geospatial Techniques and AHP Method: a Case Study of the Boudinar Basin, Rif Belt (Morocco)

The present study aims to delineate the groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) in the Boudinar Basin using geospatial techniques and through an analytical hierarchal process (AHP) method. For multi criteria decision analysis, fifteen thematic layers were integrated into a geographic information system (GIS) environment. In this analysis, each thematic layer is calculated for normalized weights. Furthermore, the consistency index and consistency ratio were calculated to ensure that the result was significant and reliable. The GWPZ map has been categorized into three classes: poor (50.82%), moderate (49.06%), and good (<1.00%). To compare the result, we used four other scenarios of the GWPZ. Two of them are the most similar to our result. Finally, predictive groundwater production and management strategies that ensure long-term sustainability are highly needed