Agadir is a city in transition, experiencing rapid urban growth, major infrastructure investment and rising regional prominence. Yet it faces mounting environmental challenges – such as water scarcity, urban heat, waste management, limited green space and transportation emissions. 

These issues threaten both the natural environment and the quality of life in its urban areas. To support Agadir’s shift toward a low-emission, climate-resilient future, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) engaged Arup to develop a Green City Action Plan (GCAP). This plan offers a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap for climate action through sustainable infrastructure investment, policy reform and inclusive urban development.

Arup led the development of Agadir’s Green City Action Plan through a highly participatory process involving stakeholders from local authorities, municipal departments, civil society, education and NGOs. We conducted a detailed baseline analysis of the city’s environmental, social and economic conditions, local priorities and investment plans.  

Through workshops and on-the-ground engagement, we co-created a 15-year vision underpinned by seven strategic goals focused on resource efficiency, social equity, climate resilience and digital innovation.

The plan includes 31 bankable actions across key sectors, backed by a monitoring and evaluation framework to track implementation and impact. These actions address critical challenges such as drinking water supply, renewable energy integration and the preservation of the natural environment, while promoting inclusive growth and long-term sustainability.

Our multidisciplinary team included climate change specialists, transport planners, energy specialists, economists, landscape architects, waste management experts and water specialists, among others.

With this plan, Agadir is embracing a new path toward resilience –  one that values its green and blue assets, empowers its citizens and places nature and innovation at the core of urban action. It reflects a clear commitment to building a city that enhances quality of life today while preparing for the climate and social challenges of tomorrow.  

 

 

Zakaria Oulad

Municipality of Agadir

Agadir’s Green City Action Plan marks a significant step for both the city and Morocco, where people already feel the acute impacts of climate change through water scarcity, extreme heat and environmental degradation. The GCAP process helped Agadir build consensus around its most pressing challenges and align local priorities into a unified, evidence-based strategy that reflects the needs of the local community.

These efforts go beyond infrastructure, aiming to support communities, expand job opportunities and contribute to a more inclusive and climate-resilient future. The result is a plan that is both visionary and practical, capable of unlocking green finance and catalysing long-term transformation. Agadir’s GCAP carries global relevance, offering a model for other cities in Morocco and North Africa seeking to align urban development with climate ambition.

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