Morocco named among the top 10 countries in 2010

According to Lonely Planet, Morocco is among the ten hottest countries for 2010:

‘Hello, bonjour, salaam alaykum, labes?’ Street greetings sum up everything you need to know about Morocco in a word: it’s Berber and Arab, Muslim and secular, Mediterranean and African, worldly wise and welcoming. Morocco sees how the Middle East is portrayed via satellite news and the internet, and is as concerned with violent threats and abuses of power as anyone else in the modern world. But as you’ll see, most Moroccans are plenty busy working to get by, get their kids through school and greet the king’s planned 10 million visitors by 2010 with the utmost hospitality. Every visitor helps Moroccans realise these goals by creating new economic opportunities, and can make a Moroccan’s day by returning the greeting: ‘Hello, good day, may peace be upon you, are you happy?’

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/el-salvador/travel-tips-and-articles/42/15809

Marrakech : la scène et les coulisses…

Ce mois-ci Marrakech est en couverture du magazine Géo.

« Tant d’exotisme à trois heures des grandes villes de France, c’est tentant. On comprend que les touristes se pressent pour franchir les monumentales portes hispano-mauresques de la Ville Rouge. »

Au-delà du folklore de carte postale, les reporters de Géo sont partis à la découverte de la ville, se sa région, de son histoire, de ses palmiers et ont exploré les coulisses de la Place Jemaa-el-Fna…

Et toujours de très belles photos…

http://www.geo.fr/en-kiosque/avril-2010-geo-n-374-special-marrakech-et-le-haut-atlas-67460

Grand Prix de Marrakech

La seconde édition du Grand Prix de Marrakech aura lieu du 30 avril au 2 mai 2010.

Après le succès de l’année dernière et le trophée de la meilleure organisation du sport automobile mondiale décerné par la Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, le Grand Prix accueillira de nouveau les stars du circuit World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) : Yvan Muller, Alessandro Zarnardi, Andy Priaulx et bien sûr l'enfant du pays, le jeune Mehdi Bennani.

Cette seconde édition verra l’apparition de la Formule 2. Au volant de ces monoplaces de 480 CV, de futurs grands noms du sport auto international viendront en découdre sur le nouveau tracé de Race of Morocco. Julien Jousse, star de cette discipline annonce déjà un spectacle grandiose à près de 300 km/h aux pieds des remparts.

http://www.marrakechgrandprix.com

International World Water Day

Established by the United Nations, International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. The World Water Day 2010 is dedicated to the theme of water quality, reflecting its importance alongside quantity of the resource in water management.

We all know water is the basis of life on earth. The quality of life directly depends on water quality. Good water quality sustains healthy ecosystems and hence leads to improved human well-being. On the contrary, poor water quality affects the environment and human well-being.

The quality of water resources is increasingly threatened by pollution. Human activity over the past 50 years is responsible for unprecedented pollution of water resources in history. It is estimated that over 2.5 billion people globally live without adequate sanitation. Every day, 2 million tons of sewage and other effluents drain into the world’s waters. The problem is worse in developing countries where over 90% of raw sewage and 70% of untreated industrial wastes are dumped into surface waters.

Water carrier on Place Jemaa-el-Fna in Marrakesh

This International Water Day reminds us that protecting water sources from pollution is everyone’s responsibility since we all live downstream. It can not be left to public authorities alone. All sectors, public and private, must take appropriate and adequate action to prevent pollution. It demands the open engagement of all stakeholders, from individuals and local communities to international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and civil society.

For more information, visit : http://www.worldwaterday2010.info/