On 16 April 2026, MedCities organised the fourth and final online session of the first phase of the EViMACC project in Morocco, dedicated to ‘Urban adaptation to climate change in the Maghreb’, a joint initiative of GIZ and MedCities as part of the regional UrbA-CliMA project. This session marks the conclusion of a cycle of work dedicated to conceptualising and facilitating the exchange of expertise between Moroccan cities on climate change adaptation.

The training programme comprised three preliminary sessions focusing on the dissemination of best practices, the assessment of climate risks at the local level, and the development of adaptation plans. This final meeting was devoted to the operational integration of climate change adaptation into municipal planning, with a particular focus on methodologies, lessons learned, and mechanisms for cooperation between local authorities.

The session began with institutional presentations by MedCities and GIZ, highlighting the importance of integrating climate resilience into spatial planning. The methodological principles for integrating adaptation into Municipal Action Plans (MAPs) were then presented, detailing the entry points, stages of the process, and expected outcomes.

The discussions also highlighted major challenges such as a lack of technical capacity, financial constraints and the need to strengthen institutional coordination. At the same time, several opportunities were highlighted, notably support from international partners, the growing role of local authorities and the availability of replicable experiences.

Concrete examples illustrated the discussions, notably Casablanca, where adaptation is implicitly integrated into water management and urban planning, and Mersin, which presented innovative actions in the areas of coastal resilience, emissions reduction and sustainable mobility.

The session concluded with a dynamic participatory exchange and a high level of engagement from participants. An in-person workshop is planned for Rabat in June 2026 to consolidate the results and strengthen cooperation between cities.