The Moroccan Approach: Integrating Cultural Preservation and Sustainable Development

Morocco’s approach to implementing projects that preserve its multicultural identity integrates opportunities to advance sustainable development. The strategy is to identify ways to not only preserve culturally significant locations and knowledge but to also advance livelihoods, health, and education. The restoration of the Jewish cemeteries in Morocco, and growing adjacent to them community fruit tree nurseries, provides a vivid example of this model of linking multiculturalism and sustainable development. A different example involving the restoration of the historic mellah neighborhood in Marrakech presents the need to better galvanize community participation. Project experiences in the city of Essaouira will be introduced to help further illuminate these themes. Finally, the essay provides recommendations to improve the application of Morocco’s cultural-development integrated model.