Socio-Ecological Assessment of Khenifiss Lagoon (Southern Morocco) through an Ecosystem Services Framework for Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management

Coastal lagoons are vital for biodiversity and human well-being but face significant challenges from both natural and human pressures. This study applies the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) framework to evaluate how changes in ecosystem services (ES) affect human well-being in Khenifiss Lagoon (KL). Drawing on a multi-decadal analysis of scientific literature complemented by 2022-2024 field observations, the study identifies key drivers influencing the lagoon's ecosystem services. These drivers include natural factors such as environmental configuration, climatic conditions, and sea level rise, alongside human activities like population growth, economic exploitation, tourism, fishing, and salt extraction. Consequently, challenges such as increased sedimentation, poor waste management, and habitat degradation threaten regulating, provisioning, supporting and cultural services, resulting in biodiversity loss and adverse effects on local livelihoods and the lagoon's ecological balance. To address these issues, integrated management strategies are crucial, focusing on waste management, sustainable tourism, adaptive monitoring, community-based conservation, and raising awareness among locals and tourists, while ensuring that future projects respect ecological balance and prioritize sustainable resource use.