Natural and Cultural Heritage as a Lever for Development in Marginalized Mountainous Areas: Case Study of Maghraoua and Bab Boudir (Eastern Middle Atlas, Morocco)

Abstract

Marginalized mountainous regions in Morocco face a profound paradox between their specific resource wealth and socioeconomic vulnerability. This study, focusing on the rural communes of Maghraoua and Bab Boudir (Eastern Middle Atlas), adopts a territorial approach to analyze local heritage valorization. Grounded in a theoretical framework combining "specific resources" and "heritage valorization" (patrimonialization), the research utilizes a territorial diagnosis (resource inventory) and 150 semi-structured interviews with the local population. The results reveal exceptional natural (cedar forests, karstic caves) and cultural (crafts, performance arts) assets that remain underexploited or degraded due to unsustainable practices and the lack of an integrated vision. To address this, the study proposes a sustainable cultural-tourism territorial project aimed at transitioning from "transit tourism" to "heritage tourism." Key recommendations emphasize the effective integration of heritage into local development plans, supporting youth and women's cooperatives, and upgrading infrastructure through a participatory approach to ensure resource sustainability and local community engagement.