The Long-run Anthropogenic Processes’ Effects on Ecological Footprints in Morocco: A STIRPAT analysis based on four co-integration approaches (D-1825)

Abstract

Background: Morocco provides a stark example of how a developing country in the southern hemisphere is struggling with the diverse and devastating impacts of climate change, which are exacerbated by development issues and a lack of studies that allow for understanding the causal effects of environmental degradation, a crucial factor in informing adequate policy responses.

Results: Four pieces of empirical evidence on the ecological footprint of production, consumption, import, and export consistently show that demographic pressure has significantly contributed to the rising ecological footprints in Morocco, followed by trade openness and then economic affluence, although to a lesser extent. However, providing advanced education to Moroccan youth consistently reduces the stress on the ecosystem across the four cases, albeit moderately.

Conclusions: Human-induced activities attributed to economic and demographic growth besides trade openness have been shown to significantly contribute to environmental alteration and subsequently compromise environmental sustainability in Morocco, with the exception of advanced schooling, which has been found sustainable in the way it mitigates these effects. Based on this, effective policy implications are being proposed at three levels - individual, organizational, and governmental to reduce the burden of human-induced stress on the environment, increase biocapacity, and promote environmental sustainability in Morocco and beyond.