Valuing the ecological and socio-economic interests of the Moroccan coastal lagoons: An ecosystem services framework

Lagoons ecosystems present various ecosystem services, including ecological functions and economic value contributing to human well-being. Morocco houses five lagoons from the North to the South (Nador lagoon, Moulay Bousselham Lagoon, Oualidia lagoon, Sidi Moussa lagoon, and Khenifes lagoon). These lagoons present many services and goods to the population living there, especially aquaculture (in the Oualidia & Khenifes lagoons), fishing, and agricultural activities. Moreover, the increased human activities around such ecosystems have negatively influenced their environmental quality. In this order, we evaluate the evolution of human activities in each lagoon during the last four decades. We analyze the ecosystem services and goods; these lagoons provide using Ma's conceptual framework, which incorporates ecosystem services and goods with human welfare. The current knowledge reveals these lagoons' critical role in the local population and region's economy. Besides, the study highlights that there are common services and goods that these ecosystems provide, which implies the need for developing strategies and policies based on approaches that combine all the provided services and goods for sustainable socio-economic and environmental growth.