Swapping Climate Services Knowledge · Evaluation of GIZ South-South Cooperation Program · Morocco

Morocco has, over the centuries, gained experiences with water scarcities, drought and combating desertification due to its natural semiarid-arid climatic conditions.

Highly efficient management techniques have been developed for watershed areas in Morocco developing high resilience to rainless periods under severe climate conditions. Recently Morocco has developed a climate service application for an efficient approach to prevent and combat forest fires under climate uncertainty. This climate application is relevant for Costa Rica. On the other hand, Morocco is facing the challenge to formulate a comprehensive mainstreaming of climate change into the National Strategy for Protected Areas, in order to preserve natural and cultural heritage with a wider vision of sustainable development.

Facilitated by the German International Cooperation Agency GIZ a triangular cooperation was stablished between the Republic of Costa Rica, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Federal Republic of Germany to engage in a policy dialogue to improve climate services for the sustainable management and use of forest, protected areas and watersheds in the context of Climate Change.

The High Commission on Water, Forests and Combating Desertification in Morocco was strengthened through a communication and awareness program to build climate dialogue with relevant institutions and organizations active in climate services – sustainable forest management and sustainable use of forest goods.

OIKO facilitated the cooperation, advice and learning processes to maximize use of climate services open new perspectives, extended options and scopes for action and alternative solutions in the four thematic areas for involved partners in Morocco and Costa Rica:

• Based on the successful Moroccan experience for watershed management, conducted the implementation of a climate information application in Costa Rica.
• Consolidation of two climate services applications to combat of forest fire in Costa Rica, based on Moroccan experience.
• Ecosystem Valorization of protected areas: Development of two protected areas pilot projects, supported by climate services information sharing of Morocco, based on a successful Costa Rican experience, in order to valorization of biodiversity, through sustainable tourism and development of value chains for the socioeconomic benefits of the local communities.