The third decade of the third millennium has been marked by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected countries in diverse ways. These countries have seen an increase in confirmed cases, human and economic losses, and political and geostrategic impacts. The pandemic has also had social, health, and educational implications. The crisis has led to a return to restriction procedures and the closure of borders, and has forced countries to focus more on their own needs. Governments have struggled to deal with the pandemic and have called on their armies for help and mobilized parts of civil society.

Framing paper

The beginning of the third decade of the third millennium has been marked by the spatial expansion of covid19 pandemic due to its diverse spatial, environmental, and socioeconomic dimensions.

The most affected countries have experienced an increase in confirmed cases, human and economic losses, complex political and geostrategic impacts, and entangled social, health, and educational implications.

Corona virus was a shock to the globalization system, which is based on free and fluid movement of people and goods; whch generates global overlapping and interdependence.

However, the crisis has not only forced the return to procedures of restriction, including  movement of people and trade, but also, has forced the closure of borders and the relative and temporary withdrawal of countries on themselves 

The different governments have struggled to cope with the fallouts of the pandemic, calling on the services of their armies in the management of the first phase and mobilizing part of civil society.

At the same time, waves of nationalist movements emerged, attempts to achieve medical self-sufficiency (hospitals, breathing apparatus, bibs, sterilizers, vaccines.), food (securing strategic reserves in food and consumption), economic (currency fluidity, support for businesses, securing industrial production.) and finally technologies (computer and digital security and the fight against fake news, toxic information and electronic crimes).

Thus, these strategic transformations have contributed to the intensification of competition and controversy that has sometimes reached enormous proportions and records, monopolized by devices and health frameworks and food materials, to the point that the stability of the oldest economic and political entities (eg. in Italy, Spain and the European Union) has been endangered.

However, these upheavals have given a golden opportunity to the "Chinese giants" to lead the efforts of the whole world, through the policy of "aid" and health missions to the most affected countries.

It has become clear that the economic, social, scientific, cultural and political fallouts have led all the countries of the world to review and question all the concepts, terms, laws, theories, priorities, conventions and international relations that marked the world before the covid.

The spread of the covid 19 virus and its mutants and the blurring that accompanied its inception showed the decline of universal spiritual and humain value systems through individualism.

Moreover, this pandemic has highlighted the gap between the future of humanity, the degree of rebirth of human values, the consolidation of family and social systems and the respect of universal laws in the sustainability of the exploitation of natural resources of the blue planet.

Within the framework of the ecological risks that threaten the African continent, the North African countries are suffering from the adverse effects of climate change, given the years of drought, the scarcity of rainfall and the irregularity of their space-time distribution, which exposes this region to an unprecedented water crisis and calls for a new water and agricultural policy.

We could add to these challenges, other risks such as forest fires, the degradation of plant cover, rangeland and diseases that affect herds and plants in addition to floods.   

The rapid response of the Moroccan state to the effects of the pandemic represents an approach that deserves to be questioned. Many actors and administrations at different levels have reacted quickly by adopting a territorial approach and by taking national and sub-national measures to face the crisis. These include interventions by local authorities, national security, the Royal Armed Forces, and health and education officials who are responsible for implimenting and monitoring preventive measures.

On the other hand, the rural environment was able to satisfy the supply of the cities and meet the needs in good conditions. At the social level, a special fund was created to help families in a fragile situation, and support businesses to fight against the unforeseen crisis. The suspension of activity in the informal sector has worsened the situation of households that have lost their sources of income. A situation that has revealed a diversity of solidarity initiatives between families.

If the occurrence of epidemics caused by other viruses now seems inevitable, it seems wise to learn from this unprecedented health crisis as to how we will respond to such crises in the future. It is also essential to consolidate initiatives in the health field (strengthening of infrastructure, qualification of human resources, development of scientific research) and in the educational field (equipment of establishments, digitalization...).

Faced with the increase in environmental risks and unforeseen crises, the scientific community is called upon to develop an integrated national prevention strategy. This initiative will also allow to anticipate future disasters and face them.

The 4th issue of the Moroccan Journal of Geographic Research aims to publish original scientific articles. These contributions will be the subject of oral communications at the 8th symposium of young geographers (11-12 May 2023), as part of a national multidisciplinary symposium. This event brings together all the actors (scientific researchers, economists, institutions and civil society.

Subtopics

• Pandemics and environmental risks; strategic management and planning approaches to geographic resources and systems: water resources, oases, coastlines, mountains and forests...
• The national economic system and the achievement of economic sovereignty in the context of crises and unforeseen and unusual events.
• The impact of pandemics and crises on international relations and economic unions, and the reformulation of the global system.
• Social approach and crisis management: human values, family cohesion and socio-economic evolution of Moroccan society and the problem of social vulnerability.
• International experiences in crisis management: the response of the security, health, education and media systems.
• Roles of digitization, artificial intelligence and geographic information systems in crisis management.
• Role and effectiveness of civil society, and the contribution of Moroccans community living abroad in facing crises.

Deadlines to remember

• First information circular : 02 January 2023

• Deadline for receipt of texts : 05 March 2023

• Notification to authors of accepted intent texts : 09 April 2023
• Holding of the conference : 11-12 may 2023
• Notification to authors of texts selected for publication : 28 may 2023
• Publication of the 4th issue : End 2023

Mode of participation (optional): face-to-face / distance learning for foreigners

Paper proposals should be sent by e-mail to the following address cnmgestioncrises@gmail.com ; rmrgeo2019@gmail.com

Honorary Committee

• Jamal Eddine EL HANI, FLHS-MVU-Rabat
• Moussa KERZAZI, FLHS-MVU-Rabat
• Mohammed TAILASSANE, FLHS-MVU-Rabat
• Mohamed HANZAZ, NIPU
• El Hassan ABYABA, HllU-Casablanca
• Abdelkrim MARZOUK , AU IFRANE
• Mouhsine IDALI , FLHS-Beni Mellal
• Abdelouahed BOUBERRIA, PF-SMBAU, Taza
• Bidaouia BELKAMEL, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Said BENNIS, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• ETTAHIRI Abdelaaziz, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• El Assad Mohamed, FLHS-Ben M’sik
• Mhammed ABDEREBBI, FLHS-Mohammedia
• Hassane El Mbarki, FLHS-Marrakech
• THAMI ETTOUHAMI, CRMEFR

Coordination Committee

• Moussa EL MALKI, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• SADIK ABDENNOUR, ENS Rabat
• Abdelghani QADEM, FLHS-USMS, Beni Mellal
• Hanane HAMMOUDA, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• ELACHHAB Abdsalam, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Hind FATTAH, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Abdelouhab SADIK, ENS Rabat
• Ahmed EL HAMEL, FLHS Dhar Mehraz Fès

Scientific Committee

• Jamal Eddine EL HANI, FLHS-MVU-Rabat
• IJJOU cheikh moussa, FLHS-MVU-Rabat
• Mohammed ELBAH, FLHS-MVU-Rabat
• Moussa KERZAZI, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Mohammed TAILASSANE, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• El Hassan ABYABA, UH2-Casablanca
• AIT HAMZA Mohamed, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Abdelaziz ADIDI, INAU
• Mohamed HANZAZ, INAU
• Mohamed LAMINE Mahmoud EL HASSAN, University of Nouackott Mauritania
• Mohamed Abdoullah mohamed ELMOSTAPH , University of Nouackott Mauritania
• Mohamed ELMAMI Mohamed Abdoullah, University of Nouackott Mauritania
• Mohamed lamine LAMATE El MABROUK, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Mauritania
• EL BOUZIDI Aissa, FLHS-UIT, Kénitra
• Mohammed LAATIRIS, FLHS-UIT, Kénitra
• Omar HAMDACHE, FLHS-UIT, Kénitra
• Abdelkrim MARZOUK , Université El Akhawayn IFRANE
• CHAHHOU Driss, FLHS MVU, Rabat
• Bidaouia BELKAMEL, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Said BENNIS, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Mustapha AYYAD, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• ETTAHIRI Abdelaaziz, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Brahim BADIDI, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Lahoucine Amzil, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Nadia MACHOURI, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• JABRI naziha, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Farid AMAR, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Jeloul HSINI, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Hanane HAMMOUDA, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• ZAIRIG Hanane, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• ELACHHAB Abdsalam, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Hind FATTAH, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Aboubakr SABIRI, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• EL MALKI Moussa, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• GHANDOUR Rajae, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• Elmahjoube KEDDAR, FLHS-MVU, Rabat
• BAHOU Abdelaziz, ENS-MVU, Rabat
• DEHANI ABEDLILAH , ENS-MVU, Rabat
• SADIK ABDENNOUR, ENS-MVU, Rabat
• Bouchaib ESSALEK, FSE-MVU, Rabat
• Abdelouhab SADIK, ENS-MVU, Rabat
• Mohamed KAFSSI, FSE-MVU, Rabat
• FAARAS Abdelaziz, FSE-MVU, Rabat
• OUAZIZ ALI,  IUEAEMIA MVU, Rabat
• Bouchalkha Mohamed, FLHS-UIZ-Agadir
• DADOUN Ali, FLHS- UIZ-Agadir
• Driss BENABDELMALEK, FLHS- UIZ-Agadir
• AFKIR El Houssine, FLHS-UAE, Tetouan
• Mohammed EL ASSAAD, FLHS-Ben M’sik, UH2 Casablanca
• Mohammed MEDINA, FLHS-Ben M’sik, UH2 Casablanca
• Aziz MAHJOUB, FLHS-Ben M’sik, UH2 Casablanca
• Adil WAKIL, FLHS-Ben M’sik, UH2 Casablanca
• Hasna Tnourji, FLHS-Ben M’sik, UH2 Casablanca
• Assmaa BASSIR, FLHS-Ben M’sik, UH2 Casablanca
• Ahmed AIT MOUSSA, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• Mohamed ANEFLOUSS, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• BOUMEAZA Taieb, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• Mostafa YAHYAOUI, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• ABDEREBBI Mhammed, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• Jamila SAIDI, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• Asmae Bouaouinate, FLHS-Mohammedia, UH2 Casablanca
• Mohamed MDAFAI, FLHS-Ain Chok, UH2 Casablanca
• Khalid ELAMRANI, FLHS-Ain Chok, UH2 Casablanca
• Rkia HAKIMI, FLHS-Ain Chok, UH2 Casablanca
• Oulfa HAJ ALI, FLHS-SMBAU, Sais Fès
• Hassane AL KATMOUR, FLHS-SMBAU, Sais Fès
• MOULOUDI Mohamed, FLHS-SMBAU, Sais Fès
• Abdelouahed BOUBERRIA, FP-USMB A, Taza
• Mohammed ERRAFIK, FP- SMBAU, Taza
• Mohammed ABAHROUR, FP- SMBAU, Taza
• Hassane El Mbarki, FLHS- SMBAU, Marrakech
• AIT HASSOU Mohamed, FLHS-UCA, Marrakech
• Hassan DIYA, FLHS-UCA, Marrakech
• IDALI Mouhsine, FLHS-USMS, Béni Mellal
• EL GHACHI Mohamed, FLHS-USMS, Béni Mellal
• Zouhir BAHAMMOU, FLHS-USMS, Béni Mellal
• Abdelghani QADEM, FLHS-USMS, Béni Mellal
• BOUCHRA HESSANI, FP-USMS, Khouribga
• BOUHLAL Abdeslam, FLHS-UMI, Meknès
• Adil HADDIA, FLHS-UMI, Meknès
• Jaouad ABOUZID, FLHS-UMI, Meknès
• Abdellatif SBIRITOU, CRMEF Fès Meknès
• Abdelkader TAYRI, FSLH-UM1, Oujda
• Mustapha OTHMANI, FLHS-UM1, Oujda
• Abdellatif JAMAL, FLHS-UH2, El Jaddida
• THAMI ETTOUHAMI, CRMEF Rabat
• Kacem NAIMI, COPE Rabat
• Salem TALHOUT, CRMEF Rabat

Organizing Committee

• Moussa EL MALKI,
• Abdelouahab SADIK,
• Aziz MAHJOUB,
• Driss BENABDELMALEK
• Ayoub CHAOUACH,
• Hassane EL MAMSAOUI,
• Brahim OUADDI,
• Aomar ACHHBOUNE
• Aicha Oukenza,
• Abdeljalil Ait Ali,
• Abdelali Boulaga,
• Fatima Zohra BENAMARA
• Mohamed MACHBOUH,
• Yassine MOUKHLISSI,
• Yassine El BAKLI,
• Soufiane Bouihrouchane
• Aissam BOUAICHE,
• Yassir SAHEL,
• Aboubakre FERTAHI,
• Samira LAHRACH
• Mohamed NAJMI,
• Abdelkarim El MOURABIT,
• Saliha BELAIDI,
• Najat AKHAL
• Tariq AKDIM,
• Hicham AMSAL,
• Said Dyn,
• Latifa MAROUCH
• El Houssain OULOUDI,
• Ahmed EL HAMAL,
• Soumia HADAJI,
• Bouchra EL MALKI