Methods and Scenario Analysis into Regional Area Participatory Planning of Sustainable Development: The “Roses Valley” in Southern Morocco, A Case Study †

Abstract

As the global environmental crisis grows in scale and complexity, land protection experts and policy makers are increasingly called upon to make decisions, despite high levels of uncertainty, limited resources and insufficient or, conversely, available but unintegrated data. Efforts to protect biodiversity at the national and, especially, the local level, which aim to achieve sustainable development in territories and local communities, require the incorporation of social, economic and political considerations to ensure that participatory planning of strategies is adopted and undertaken. With this issue in mind, the geographical focus chosen for this contribution is the territory of the Valley of Roses located in the southern area of Morocco. From a methodological point of view, this paper will address the state of the existing literature on sustainable development and the good practices implemented in studied territories. The final objective, which is related to the application and resolution of real problems, concerns, on the one hand, the possibility of valorizing the material and immaterial cultural heritage of the area and, on the other hand, identifying the steps to be taken as part of a long-term vision aimed at identifying concrete actions for the valorization and development of the area.