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Morocco offers a wealth of biological, geological, and cultural diversity. This manuscript focuses on strengthening the information about the geological heritage in the northeastern part of the Central High Atlas, south of Midelt City, in the Drâa-Tafilalet region. This work consists of identifying, characterizing, and quantifying the significance of twelve sites of geological interest in the Tizi N’Talghemt area. The quantitative analysis is based on each site’s scientific value, potential for educational and tourist use, and degradation risk. Four Geosites with very high scientific value and eight Geodiversity sites with considerable potential for academic and tourist activities have been identified. All sites offer significant scientific, educational, and tourist potential and deserve rigorous protection to prevent degradation. Our goal is to expand the strategy of the Moroccan National Program for Geology MNPG-2030 and reinforce UNESCO’s guidelines for preserving the national geological heritage. Incorporating our conclusions into local and regional development plans will help raise the region’s visibility and enhance its attractiveness while preserving these endangered geological treasures. Our recommendations are meant to promote and protect the area’s geological heritage; they represent a crucial tool that local decision-makers should consider when planning the region’s development in the future.
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This content will become publicly available on March 1, 2026
Inventory and quantitative assessment of geosites and geodiversity sites of the Tinghir-Dades-Imilchil area (Morocco)
The Tinghir-Dades-Imilchil area is a geosite of high scientific, educational, and touristic values in the Draa-Tafilalet Region, Southeast Morocco. It has a rich geodiversity, including mountain ranges, plains, deserts, plateaus, and coasts, offering geomorphological and panoramic views, oases, lacks, and unique geological features (e.g., structural geology, sedimentology, petrogra-phy, paleontology, and hydrogeology). This paper focuses on the inventory and quantitative as-sessment of 25 sites of geological interest using the global methodology based on scientific value (SV), potential educational use (PEU) and potential touristic use (PTU), and degradation risk (DR) of each site. Indeed, SV is very high for 15 sites, high for 9 sites, and moderate for 1 site; PEU is very high for 21 sites and high for 4 sites; PTU is very high for 8 sites and high for 17 sites; and DR is high for 10 sites and moderate for 15 sites. Thus, 15 geosites (sites with very high SV values) and 10 geodiversity sites (sites with very high PEU or PTU values) are identified. These sites show highly significant scientific, educational, and touristic potentialities that should be valued and protected from degradation. Our work fits in well with the National Program of the Geology of Morocco-2030 strategy and the UNESCO directives, which aim at the inventory, awareness, valorization, and preservation of geological heritage. In addition, identi-fying and valuing these sites will help increase the area's attractiveness, preserve the environ-ment, and protect and enhance the region's geological history by introducing the geoheritage concept into its local and regional development plans. Suggested recommendations for their valorization and preservation constitute a valuable tool for local stakeholders to program their future sustainable actions and to improve the living conditions of the local population by creating new employment opportunities.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1848393
- PAR ID:
- 10585071
- Publisher / Repository:
- Elsevier
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2577-4441
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 166 to 187
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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