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<\/p>\nThis title reflects a dramatic reality that has been predicted since the beginning of the 20th century. Numerous publications over the past 100 years have warned of severe deforestation in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The causes are always human: indiscriminate logging (for construction but also for domestic fires), the extraction of tannins (which mainly affected cork oak forests), the extraction of tar or gatran (which affects both thuja and other species due to the enormous amount of firewood needed), charcoal production, overgrazing (which, in addition to eliminating large quantities of shrubs and young trees, prevents the regeneration of vegetation), and the direct destruction of more or less dense forests, scrubland, and pastures for agriculture. Since the mid-20th century, another cause has been added: urbanization and its infrastructure.<\/p>\n
North African forests are the best means of combating the advance of the Sahara Desert northward. Forests create fertile soil, coolness, and moisture, promote biodiversity, and sequester carbon. Their transpiration contributes to rainfall, which is essential for human consumption, agriculture, livestock farming, industry, and other economic sectors.<\/p>\n
Forest conservation should be a national priority in North African countries. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case; the data is terrifying. The situation in several countries is presented based on historical estimates of potential forest area, compared with data from the latest National Forest Inventories (IFN) for each country. It begins with Morocco, the country with the greatest forest diversity.<\/p>\n
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The data in Table 1 can all be nuanced, especially those concerning potential areas given by Emberger (1939) and Boudy (1948). There probably never was so much forest in Morocco during the mid-Holocene, but in any case, they provide a good approximation. In the case of Pinus halepensis<\/em>, losses have not been greater thanks to the plantations that have been established with varying degrees of success since the mid-20th century. The areas for each period should be understood as zones where the species appears, which are not always forests. In many cases, the trees are widely spaced, with canopy cover below 20%. With such low densities and often bare and compacted soils, the survival of a few scattered trees does not qualify the area as a forest. Thus, despite the nearly 4,000,000 hectares of natural forest cover that, according to Table 1, remain in Morocco, the reality is that only 1,100,000 hectares can be considered more or less native forest. Some recent publications present 9,630,000 hectares of forest, but these figures include all natural areas, of varying density, plus plantations of non-native species, plus steppes with alfa.<\/p>\n Table 1 does not include the old and extensive Pistacia atlantica<\/em> forests, now gone, nor the acacia formations, formerly much denser, dominated by trees of the genus Vachelia<\/em>, with Faidherbia albida<\/em>, Maerua crassifolia<\/em>, Balanites aegyptiaca<\/em>, and others. Riparian and oasis forests, with trees of the genera Populus<\/em>, Fraxinus<\/em>, Salix<\/em>, Phoenix<\/em>, Tamarix<\/em>, etc., have also not been included in the count. This means that the total potential forest area in Morocco could have been around 25,000,000 hectares in the mid-Holocene. Since then, the local population and the successive civilizations that have settled in the country up to the present day may have deforested around 24,000,000 hectares of more or less dense forests.<\/p>\n In Algeria, the evolution of forest cover follows a similar process to that of Morocco. See Table 2 for the losses of the main forest types. In the case of Pinus halepensis<\/em>, losses have not been greater due to plantations established with varying degrees of success since the mid-20th century. These plantations have not been included in the calculation of the average percentage.<\/p>\n As with the previous table, this one also omits some forest types (forests composed of Abies numidica<\/em>, Juniperus thurifera<\/em>, Quercus faginea<\/em>, Q. canariensis<\/em>, riparian forests, acacia forests and savannas, etc.). Taking this into account, the total forest area lost can be estimated at at least 5,000,000 hectares.<\/p>\n Data from Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt show similar trends. In Tunisia, it is estimated that around 2,000 years ago, the forest area was approximately 3,000,000 hectares. At the beginning of the 20th century, this figure was 1,250,000 hectares (still a very considerable area). However, after the extensive land clearing of the 20th century, only about 368,000 hectares of the truly valuable natural forest remain (II IFN, 2010).<\/p>\n In Egypt, there are no forests, but in historical times, much of what is now desert was covered by extensive savannas, sometimes so dense they could be considered forests, as well as extensive and lush riparian forests along the Nile River and in much of its great delta. Today, the data on the conservation status of its once abundant native trees are striking. Of the 52 native species that essentially exist in the country, 31 have been assessed by Shalthout & Bedair (2022), following IUCN criteria, as endangered. Of these, 10 are critically endangered, 16 are threatened, and 5 are vulnerable.<\/p>\n The other Mediterranean countries also underwent similar processes, but in Europe, large-scale deforestation ended about 60 years ago. Since then, forest area has been steadily increasing, both due to the regeneration of natural forests (due to rural abandonment) and successive reforestation projects. Forest area in Spain has increased by more than 50%, and forest species (flora and fauna) that were on the verge of extinction are recovering. But this is not entirely due to abandonment and forest management; on average, Spain, France, Italy, or Greece receive more rainfall than the southern Mediterranean countries. This implies, among other benefits, a faster and more efficient recovery from wildfires. Therefore, in the drier countries of North Africa, conservation measures for the remaining natural forests must be intensified, as what is lost can often be lost forever.<\/p>\n In North Africa, resources are finite, as in the rest of the world, but in areas at serious risk of desertification, the problem is particularly acute, especially given the region’s significant population boom since the mid-20th century. The population of the five Mediterranean countries of North Africa has grown from approximately 50 million in 1955 to around 225 million in 2026 (Worldometer, 2026). That is, its population has more than quadrupled in just 70 years. This implies an ever-increasing need for agricultural land and increasingly intensive farming practices. Consequently, following deforestation and intensive agriculture, soil fertility and water resources tend to decline, which is undesirable given the enormous increase in the needs of the growing population.<\/p>\n After land clearing for agricultural purposes, overgrazing has always been the region’s biggest environmental problem (excessive consumption of vegetation, removal of regeneration, soil compaction, and increased desertification). Far from mitigating this long-standing and serious problem, livestock herds continue to grow, even doubling in just 20 years. An example can be seen in Table 3, which is more or less applicable to many other areas of North African countries.<\/p>\n D.P.S.B of Naama, 2000 to 2020. Monographs of the Wilaya of N\u00e2ama.<\/p><\/div>\n Faced with the growing and increasingly worrying desertification, one of the responses is reforestation. Numerous plans and programs have been implemented in recent decades. The great Green Barrier of the Sahara in Algeria stands out. However, the success of these plantations is relative, for various reasons. Furthermore, sometimes the species chosen are not the most suitable, and a good example of this is the La Mamora forest in Morocco. This spectacular cork oak forest has shrunk from its original 300,000 hectares to approximately 131,000 hectares today, but of these remaining areas, more than half have been planted with eucalyptus trees, and another portion has been deforested, so that only about 50,000 hectares of the valuable cork oak forest remain.<\/p>\n The concern about the disappearance of forests, the last barrier against widespread desertification, is constant. There have always been individuals and administrations that have worked to halt the deforestation process through legislation. Recently (in 2022), in Morocco, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) organized a social media survey on the state of the country’s forests through its “Oucheriko” platform. Nearly 100,000 people participated in just one month, a resounding success. 84% of respondents expressed concern about the poor state of the forests.<\/p>\n Achbah et al<\/em>. (2025) reviewed the Moroccan legislative corpus on forest policy, from traditional norms and usage rights to the 21st century. They demonstrate the enduring interest and concern for forest conservation, but the reality is stubborn, and deforestation continues.<\/p>\n According to CESE data (2022) in its report “Forest Ecosystems of Morocco,” forest degradation continues at a rate of 17,000 hectares per year.<\/p>\n The last major legislative efforts (which deserve praise) to halt forest degradation and desertification in Morocco occurred in 2020. King Mohammed VI presented the “Forests of Morocco 2020-2030” strategy, the implementation of which is being handled by the newly created (2020) National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF). The goal is to establish a modern, productive, and resilient forestry sector.<\/p>\n It is time for all countries to undertake a monumental effort to recover forest area, preferably native forests, and halt the advance of desertification. It will not be easy, nor quick; it may even be too late if climate change, which humans have also caused, is not reversed or at least slowed.<\/p>\n Seven years of drought (2019-2025) have caused numerous forest restoration attempts (natural regeneration and plantations) to fail, in addition to ruining large segments of the population dependent on agriculture and livestock farming. Forests are collapsing, thousands of hectares are being lost, still unquantified, but in a growing trend and at an increasingly accelerated pace.<\/p>\n In February 2025, this is what much of the Tetraclinis articulata forests in southeastern Essaouira, Morocco, looked like. Besides the almost total loss of foliage due to a six-year drought, note the bare, compacted soil caused by overgrazing. T. articulata are well-adapted to drought and grazing, but when these are excessive, many trees eventually die. The collapse of North African forests will be a tragedy with unpredictable consequences. Photo Helios Sainz.<\/p><\/div>\n In the first months of 2026, the drought may be over, but the joy has been tragically overshadowed. The end of the drought has been accompanied by historic floods that, in addition to causing dozens of deaths, have forced the displacement of nearly 200,000 people in the Maghreb and other Western European countries. The situation has been even worse in the south. In the Sahel, intense rains have caused at least 500 deaths and left more than 2,000,000 people affected. According to all IPCC forecasts, these types of major floods will become increasingly frequent as the planet’s oceans warm. Intense and prolonged heat waves, increasingly frequent, exceeding 45\u00b0C, reflect a climate change that is already causing major environmental disasters throughout North Africa. Droughts will become longer and more intense, and when it does rain, the long-awaited rain could be torrential and dramatic.<\/p>\n Very close to the area in the previous photograph, southeast of Essaouira, this is what some argan forests looked like in February 2025. The trees were also dry due to a severe water deficit caused by the 2019-2025 drought, exacerbated by soil compaction from overgrazing. Forest decline, increasingly common in all Mediterranean countries, is particularly serious in single-species forest formations. Photo Helios Sainz.<\/p><\/div>\n The \u201cclassic\u201d models of forest restoration are no longer effective; following them would only lead to one failure after another. The priority is to protect the last remaining native forests as true treasures<\/strong>, prohibiting or minimizing extractive activities and grazing in all of them to promote the regeneration of soils, flora, and fauna. It is a thankless task for a leader to prohibit and enforce these measures, but in this case, it could be vital for many arid countries. Livestock farming, of course, should be allowed, distributed mainly across the best agricultural lands. Regenerative agriculture and rotational grazing<\/strong>, to be developed here, could be the only long-term solution for the agricultural sector.<\/p>\n With both successes and failures, much is being learned about reforestation in these uncertain times. Without forgetting that the priority is to protect as much of the remaining natural forest as possible, reforestation should always be carried out with native species, with the collaboration of the local population, and taking into account climate change trends. This change is accelerating, it’s already happening faster than the models predicted, and it requires quick and effective decision-making.<\/p>\n In the coming decades, we will have to accept the disappearance of millions of trees and shrubs from their current natural habitats in North Africa due to water scarcity, but this, if managed properly, will not necessarily mean a loss of forests. Species will gradually shift to more suitable areas, to higher latitudes and altitudes, and the space they leave could be occupied by others with lower water requirements. Fir and cedar forests could be progressively replaced, in large part, by gall oak forests. The current gall oak forests could be replaced by holm oak forests, and the holm oak forests by wild olive groves. The three pine species will be redistributed according to their ability to colonize new areas. Where neither wild olive, nor pine, nor thuja can survive, argan and Atlas mastic trees will take their place, and the areas inhabited by these latter species, when they can barely survive due to the intense and prolonged droughts, could be dominated by acacia forests and savannas. Thus, natural forests, although with numerous changes in their composition and structure, will be able to remain, giving the countries of North Africa all their benefits.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Achbah, M., Khattabi, A. & Boumaaza, T. (2025). \u00c9volution de la politique foresti\u00e8re au Maroc : vers une gestion durable et participative des ressources foresti\u00e8res. Rev. For. Fr<\/em>., 76, 3-2025: 217-241.<\/p>\n Boudy P. (1948-1958). Economie foresti\u00e8re nord-africaine. Larose. Paris. 4 Vols.<\/p>\n Emberger L. (1939). Aper\u00e7u g\u00e9n\u00e9ral sur la v\u00e9g\u00e9tation du Maroc. Commentaire de la carte phytog\u00e9ographique du Maroc 1:1 500 000. Ver\u00f6ft. Geobot. Ist. R\u00fcbel<\/em>. Z\u00fcrich 14: 40-157.<\/p>\n IFN (National Forest Inventory) of Morocco. From 1996 but based on satellite images from 1988, and subsequently revised and partially updated.<\/p>\n Metro A. (1958) F\u00f4rets. Carte f\u00f4restiere in Atlas du Maroc. sect. VI. Biog\u00e9ogr. planche 19a et notice. Rabat. 157 pp.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.northafricatrees.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tabla-2-Eng-300x170.jpg\")
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