The first International Congress on Natural Resources: Research and Strategies for a sustainable Development

The diversity of natural ecosystems is the source of exceptional resources that has a key role in maintaining and improving living conditions on earth, while ensuring the generation of multiple economic activities. The world demographic and economic growth and the industrialization increasing would result in an exponential increase in the consumption of these resources and a degradation of natural ecosystems. This overexploitation strongly contributes to the erosion of biodiversity, destruction of natural habitats, pollution, species extinctions and reduction of minerals and raw material. The depletion of these natural resources combined with the effects of climate change results in a rarefaction and a reduction of ecosystem services, which will constrain the economic development and often threaten the social balance. The management and preservation of natural resources is one of the major components of sustainable development. It consists in establishing a balance between the growing needs of populations and the available resources while seeking solutions for the future. Faced with this situation, the scientific community should gather their efforts to define priority action plans for the development and optimal use of natural resources and to maintain actions that significantly improve knowledge of the natural environment and its components from both a quantitative and qualitative point of view and those that ensure its conservation. It is within this framework that the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Fez (www.fst-usmba.ac.ma) and the National School of Agriculture of Meknes (www.enameknes.ac.ma) organize this 1st International Congress on Natural Resources: Research and Strategy for a Sustainable Development (RENA-2022) which will be an opportunity to present and discuss the level of development and valorization of natural resources. The program of this scientific event will include plenary lectures, oral communications, workshops, exhibitions and posters that will highlight the most recent works emerging from disciplines related to natural resources and will end with an educational and touristic excursion. The Conference aims to: (1) to bring together specialists in the field of natural resources, economic and institutional actors to discuss the state of the art of the management and valorization of natural resources, in order to identify possible synergies for a closer cooperation and further exchange of information between the different parties; (2) to acquire knowledge related to the development of natural resources, innovative techniques and economic issues; (3) to highlight the status of scientific research on natural resources and to identify future needs for research and decision-making strategies for the management and development of this heritage; (4) to support scientific research and promote the emergence of a green economy, based on the development of Renewable Natural Resources; (5) to raise awareness of the perpetuation and preservation of natural resources for a sustainable development generating multiple economic activities; (6) to contribute to the structuring and development of the sectors by providing decision support tools for professionals as well as for economic and political decision makers and (7) to develop solutions for various problems related to the impact of over-exploitation of resources on sustainable development.