When Morocco hosted the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference 2016 (otherwise known as COP22), the country took a strong stand as a leader in the MENA region for sustainable energy and resources. The conference, which took place in Marrakech November 7-18, 2016, focused on action items to achieve the priorities of The Paris Agreement (COP21), such as adaptation, transparency, technology transfer, mitigation, capacity building, and the assessment of loss and damages between developed and developing countries.

Given that the conference had an agenda of promoting future generations and social equality within an environmental action framework, faculty and students at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, saw the opportunity for the university community to contribute to the conversation surrounding climate change and COP22.

Therefore, during the Fall 2016 Semester, students in the Advanced Filmmaking/Electronic Media Production class created a series of short videos relating to sustainability issues in Morocco. The videos explore issues relating to food and water security — the latter being of particular importance in this country threatened by desertification. Students were divided into 3 teams to research, shoot, edit and publish each of the projects, meeting with AUI faculty as well as regional and national experts, and visiting sites around Morocco for field research.

The results of their efforts are posted here to this project website, along with related information on each issue and what can be done to educate more people on the topic.

We hope this project will helps to further the conversation about Morocco’s role in combatting climate change amidst a changing landscape.