Loubna Bouaicha
Smart Systems Laboratory, National School of Computer Science and Systems Analysis, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10000, Morocco
Amine Berqia
Smart Systems Laboratory, National School of Computer Science and Systems Analysis, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10000, Morocco
Sustainable land management is a pressing challenge in Morocco, where environmental pressures, rapid urbanization, and informal land practices undermine legal frameworks and planning efforts. Despite progress in service digitization, land governance remains weakened by inefficiency, overlapping claims, limited environmental oversight, and poor integration between cadastral data and ecological regulations. This paper examines the environmental and institutional shortcomings of Morocco’s land management system and advocates for a shift toward digitally enabled environmental governance. Current weaknesses in administration contribute to urban sprawl, land degradation, and climate vulnerability, particularly in peri-urban and rural zones. A review of legal frameworks and planning instruments reveals gaps in enforcing environmental regulations, protecting sensitive ecosystems, and securing tenure in high-risk areas. To address these challenges, we propose a governance-centered strategy that leverages digital tools—not as technical ends, but as enablers of sustainability. Innovations such as automated verification, spatial planning systems, and simplified registration workflows can enhance the enforcement of zoning laws, prevent unauthorized construction, and facilitate climate-resilient planning. We also assess Morocco’s commitments to environmental goals, including Nationally Determined Contributions and SDGs 11, 13, and 15, demonstrating the central role of sustainable land governance in achieving them. The study concludes with a roadmap for institutional reform that balances tenure security, ecological resilience, and equitable land access. Findings aim to guide policymakers, land managers, and planners in Morocco and across the MENA region, offering an integrated and adaptable model that bridges land administration with environmental protection.
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Copyright © 2025 Loubna Bouaicha, Amine Berqia
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
