Ouled Abdoun. A Mining Shaped Territory

The essay explore the transformation of Morocco’s Ouled Abdoun plateau, a formerly desolate and uninhabitable region, into a critical industrial center driven by the discovery of one of the largest phosphate reserves globally. By tracing historical developments and examining the infrastructural and urban interventions implemented by the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), the paper elucidates the profound reshaping of the region's landscape and socio-economic structures. The analysis delves into the environmental and social repercussions of industrialization, juxtaposed with the sustainability and energy transition initiatives adopted by OCP. It critically interrogates the discourse surrounding "sustainability" and "green economy," contending that these frameworks often obscure the extractive and inequitable nature of the underlying industrial paradigm. The study underscores how this model perpetuates environmental degradation and socio-economic disparities, offering insights into the complex interplay between resource extraction, urbanization, and ecological vulnerability on both local and global scales.