ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND RISK ASSESSMENT APPROACHES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

摘要

Most of the developing countries have important natural and human resources with promising potentialities which are often not well known. Rapid growth of the population, its direct and indirect impact on the ecology, and the need for sustainable development to ensure an acceptable level of life are of concern to the decision makers. Chief environmental issues faced by these countries include water quality and its health impact, solid waste disposal, soil erosion, deforestation, and, to a lesser extent, air quality. How can these issues be approached within a long-term strategy? What efficient and appropriate channel could converge on the goals set by a concerned country? Which part of the concept of environmental risk assessment should be taught to the future generation and combined with public awareness, education of decision makers, technology transfer and its implementation under local conditions. An overview of the main environmental issues in Morocco is also presented.