HIBAPRESS – w.m.a
The headquarters of the Casablanca-Settat region hosted, on Saturday, a forum on the topic of "The Place of the Healthy City in Integrated Territorial Development Programs," which brought together experts, academics, and institutional actors to discuss the challenges of urban health and ways to integrate it into planning and territorial development policies.
This forum, organized by the Moroccan Coalition for Climate and Sustainable Development in partnership with a number of actors, aims to develop new urban models that take the health field into account, and are capable of reducing pollution, encouraging physical activity, mitigating the effects of climate change, and promoting well-being. The interveners confirmed that more than 60 percent of citizens today reside in urban areas, which makes the city a strategic space where several determinants of health are concentrated, including the quality of air, water, and soil, transportation, housing, waste management, exposure to noise and thermal stress, as well as access to natural spaces and the practice of physical activities. Participants also stressed that health, as a factor of social cohesion, constitutes a strong lever for the economic attractiveness of territorial areas, calling for continuous dialogue between health sector actors and decision-makers in the field of planning. On this occasion, the representative of the World Health Organization in Morocco, Dr. Mounir Latif, mentioned that the global initiative "Healthy City" aims to support the territorial groups in implementing measures targeting multiple sectors, aimed at improving the general health of the urban population. He explained that this initiative is based, in particular, on increasing green spaces, combating air pollution, and developing environmentally friendly modes of transportation, as well as preventing infectious diseases. For his part, Abdelahad Fassi Fehri, the former Minister of National Planning, Urbanism, Housing and City Policy, highlighted the importance of continuing to think about the development of architectural and urban models, with a focus on their suitability for the needs and well-being of the population. In this context, he stressed the need to include these orientations within the framework of a comprehensive ecological policy, capable of keeping pace with sustainable urban development. For her part, Professor Rajae Alaoui, President of the "One Health" Association of Morocco, shed light on the "One Health" approach as an integrated framework that provides a better understanding of the interactions between human, animal, and environmental health in the urban environment. She pointed out that rapid urbanization exacerbates health risks associated with pollution, zoonotic diseases, heat islands, and social disparities, calling for the adoption of integrated public policies based on integrated governance, joint health monitoring, and citizen participation. In this context, Jamal El Mahdi, the coordinator of the Moroccan Coalition for Climate and Sustainable Development in the Casablanca-Settat region, explained in a statement to the Moroccan News Agency that this first forum dedicated to the topic of "Healthy City" aims to raise awareness of the importance of this concept, and to advocate for its integration into integrated territorial development plans, which places health at the heart of urban policies. This forum enabled the laying of the foundations for multidisciplinary thinking about the city of tomorrow, by highlighting innovative approaches aimed at strengthening the resilience of territorial areas, improving the quality of life of citizens, and building healthier, more sustainable, and inclusive cities.
