Eutrophication remains a major concern for the quality of surface waters worldwide. This phenomenon significantly restricts water usage. The El Oulfa pond, located in Casablanca, is experiencing ...advanced eutrophication primarily caused by domestic wastewater discharge. Despite the cessation of these discharges and the implementation of an aeration system coupled with biological treatment, physicochemical analyses of the water body have shown an increase in phosphorus levels. This situation suggests a sedimentary origin for this nutrient, considered a limiting factor in eutrophication. This study aims to determine the various fractions of sedimentary phosphorus and their involvement in the eutrophication of the pond, using sequential chemical extraction according to Golterman. This sequential extraction revealed that the bioavailable phosphorus bound to organic matter (ASOP) represents 60.45% of the total phosphorus. Regarding mineral phosphorus, the fraction bound to calcium (CaCO3-P) is the most dominant, while the bioavailable fraction bound to iron (P-Fe) accounts for only 1.63% of the total phosphorus.
Long memory, information content, information generation, and randomness are evaluated in various industrial sectors from Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE), Dow Jones, and S&P500. Then, three formal ...statistical tests are performed to check presence of differences. It is found that Dow Jones and S&P500 industrial sectors which are developed markets are characterized by richer information content and circulation compared to industrial sectors in CSE which is a developing stock market. In addition, the obtained empirical results show that the amount of information content and generation increases with stock market size. Finally, prices are potentially predictable in all industrial sectors across all three markets.
Neoliberal urban interventions are perceived as authoritarian by the people affected—regardless of whether they are implemented by an autocrat, a dynastic king or an elected government—because they ...are supported by narratives designed and imposed from outside which contrast with local perceptions of space and social life. Fieldwork reports from two displacement processes implemented by an authoritarian state—Morocco—are compared with similar observations in two allegedly ‘democratic’ countries—Italy and Spain. In all cases, the residents respond with counter‐narratives that highlight the importance of local social structures based on strong personal ties and the collective use of resources that enable them to survive neglect and stigmatization. A common trope is the idea of a ‘big family’ of neighbours struggling against a state that refuses to acknowledge the dignity and value of local social life, thus betraying and alienating its own citizens.
The paper presents a discussion on the identification of the source of troposphere NO
2
concentration in two cities of Morocco, Casablanca and Rabat. The levels of NO
2
during 2015-19 have been used ...as a baseline to analyse the change in the NO
2
level during the COVID-19 induced lockdown in the cities of Morocco. The analysis reveals that the baseline concentration of NO
2
during 2015-19 was higher for Casablanca city than Rabat city. Further, the NO
2
level during lockdown period has reduced significantly in Casablanca city in comparison with the NO
2
levels during 2015-19 and this reduction was higher than that of Rabat city. The primary source for the contribution of troposphere NO
2
in Casablanca city was vehicular transport, and a complete lockdown resulted in a significant reduction in NO
2
concentration. As Rabat city was not that developed in terms of vehicular load than Casablanca city, the reduction in NO
2
concentration was marginal.
The hospital sector discharges a large quantity of polluted wastewater. Proper management of these discharges requires prior precise characterization of their complex composition in order to adapt ...the mode of their treatment. The present study was interested in the physico-chemical and microbiological characterization of the effluents generated by three large hospitals of CasablancaSettat region of Morocco. This characterization was made on representative samples taken at the level of the main collectors of the hospitals concerned by the study before they cross other discharges. The results showed that the degree of pollution of the effluents studied is relatively high. Electrocoagulation treatment using aluminum electrodes has been shown to be effective and is improved with the optimum current density (J) applied, the best results are associated with densities between 142.85 and 285.71 A/m2. Electrocoagulation treatment is therefore a very promising effective and economical solution adapted to hospitals in Casablanca-Settat region, known as the most polluted area of the country.
•The satellite images and census data are good information sources for urban management and development.•The PCA method is robust, flexible, and provides an accurate outcome in the case of a large ...number of indicators.•The population density is one of the main driving forces of urban sustainability.•The urban sustainability is inadequate in 50% of Casablanca city containing two-thirds of the whole urban population.
In the last few years, the world's urban population has significantly increased and it is expected to undergo a continuous accelerated growth. This urban revolution confronts us with real challenges to promote urban sustainable development and has significant effects on socioeconomic development and the urban environment. This research suggests an approach to assess urban sustainability (US) based on the integration of census information, GIS, and remote-sensing data, which can support urban planners and decision-makers in broad environmental and socioeconomic perspectives. Five environmental indices retrieved from Landsat-8 imagery were coupled with eight general census socioeconomic indicators using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). PCA produced three components, and each one was considered a unique urban sustainability aspect covering social, economic, and/or environmental dimensions. Furthermore, the obtained result was exploited to develop a synthetic US index at the commune level with the main aim to assess urban sustainability and its spatial distribution. The outcome depicts that the US is adequate in 50% of Casablanca city, which contains nearly the third of the urban population. This research remains so promising and can be considered by urban planners as a reference to take necessary actions to improve sustainability, resilience, and well-being in the most vulnerable communes.
Earthquakes and tsunamis along Morocco's coasts have been reported since historical times. The threat posed by tsunamis must be included in coastal risk studies. This study focuses on the tsunami ...impact and vulnerability assessment of the Casablanca harbour and surrounding area using a combination of tsunami inundation numerical modelling, field survey data and geographic information system. The tsunami scenario used here is compatible with the 1755 Lisbon event that we considered to be the worst case tsunami scenario. Hydrodynamic modelling was performed with an adapted version of the Cornell Multigrid Coupled Tsunami Model from Cornell University. The simulation covers the eastern domain of the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone corresponding to the largest tsunamigenic area in the North Atlantic. The proposed vulnerability model attempts to provide an insight into the tsunami vulnerability of building stock. Results in the form of a vulnerability map will be useful for decision makers and local authorities in preventing the community resiliency for tsunami hazards.
Despite a growing number of recent Discard Studies looking at waste circulation and its implications in urban contexts, they have not sufficiently addressed the links they have with State Governance ...and Informality. This article is aimed at providing a deeper gaze on waste flows between waste pickers and institutions in Casablanca (Morocco) by complicating the categories of subalternity and informality. The empirical part of the paper provides an analysis of the variety of strategies, which I explore ethnographically, through which waste pickers engage with perpetual tensions regarding their position in governance processes rather than the linearly subaltern, polluting and passive agents they are often presented as. Eventually, reflecting on the interdependence between urban governance and informal practices, I will propose a reinterpretation of the notions of justice and spatial mobility with respect to the circulation of waste.
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