The National Park of Toubkal

The National Park of Toubkal (NPT) was created in 1942 in the High Atlas region, one of the richest areas in biodiversity in order to preserve a representative sample of the high mountain of Morocco. It also constitutes a cultural heritage, whose value goes far beyond national borders.

This park is straddling two provinces - Al Haouz and Taroudant - and is located 75km south of the city of Marrakech, in the central part of the High Atlas, between the valley of Wadi Ourika in the East and the Valley N'fis from the West. It is indeed an area of mountains marked by its diversity of rocks and the exceptional beauty of its landscapes and the remarkable biodiversity it contains.

The NPT covers an area of 38,000 ha and added 62,000 ha of peripheral zone, proposed in 1996 in the Plan of Development and Management of the park.

It was selected in 1996 as part of the National Study on Protected Areas as a Site of major Biological Ecological Interest in the region of Marrakech Tensift Al Haouz.

The development of the Plan of Development and Management of NPT (PDM) was a milestone in its evolution, and was the prelude to a more structured and more forceful action, and to more openness to different actors for its implementation (development associations, universities, etc..).

Therefore and due to financial and technical support and the project of the Management of Protected Areas, the Toubkal National Park has been developing an interesting experience in participatory approaches and partnership, Education on Environment, conservation and scientific monitoring.

Organizationally, the team on NPT has also been an interesting development, which resulted in the establishment of a Directorate of the National Park of Toubkal, whose structure has been established.

At this stage of its evolution, the National Park of Toubkal has made important achievements in various fields and is gradually integrating approaches advocated by the National Forest Program and Plan for Protected Areas (PDAP): Participatory Approach and partnership in the planning and implementation of the PDM, patrimonial approach, and shared responsibility between the various stakeholders in the planning, etc..

Despite these significant achievements and accomplishments, the management of the National Park of Toubkal remains somewhat problematic, in that the concept of peripheral zone (62 000 ha/over 130 douars) is a reality. The NPT is subject to severe degradation as a result of human actions: the natural resources are central to the local economy and constitute the very basis of survival for local residents. It is therefore evident that the development of this park is inconceivable without taking into account all the functional interactions with rural areas.

Moreover, unlike many national parks, the NPT region is experiencing a very important tourist boom (the most notable attraction is the summit of Toubkal). However, the "Park product" is still very little known to tourism professionals, and on the other hand, the economic impact at the local level is very limited.

Given this reality, and to reconcile conservation and sustainable development, the National Park of Toubkal should proceed in a logic of shared responsibilities between all the stakeholders.

The objective of this project program is to develop and enhance the NPT. This would mean eventually the mobilization of all actors around the "Park project" and their contribution effectively to its development and its position locally and regionally, not only as a conservation tool, but also and especially as an instrument of economic and social development.

The area NPT offers the highest peaks in North Africa, whose highest peak is Jebel Toubkal with over 4.167 meters of altitude. The National Park of Toubkal is also an important water tower which provides most of the irrigated terraces in the valleys and river system feeds the Tensift. Many perennial rivers are indeed born in the area of the NPT. The main ones are on the north side: N'fiss, Rherhaya, Ourika, and on the southern side: Souss.