The director of the National Agency for Water and Forests in Morocco, Abdelrahim El Houmi, pointed out that "the climate changes sweeping the world negatively affect the forest cover in the country and threaten several animal species with extinction." In a statement to Reuters, Abdelrahim El Houmi said: "Among the negative impacts of climate changes on forest cover in Morocco is the decline in the growth rate of forest systems and their products, such as cork wood and aromatic and medicinal plants." He added: "The production rate of cedar wood has decreased by 50 percent in the last decade compared to the 1970s." He noted that "the production rate of cork has also declined by 50 percent during the same period, leading to a decrease in forest revenues that significantly contribute to the development of rural forested areas."
El Houmi pointed out another important aspect of the effects of climate changes in Morocco, this time on animal wealth. He stated that Morocco "lost eight species of magnificent mammals during the last century, including the Atlas lion, the leopard, the cheetah, the addax, the Arabian oryx, and the deer, and currently, dozens of species are on the brink of extinction due to the destruction of their habitats." He mentioned, for example, "the striped skunk, the striped hyena, and several types of gazelles called the Mhrare gazelle and the Agis gazelle (mountain gazelle), as well as the fennec fox and the seal."
