Tameslouht, Morocco

Tameslouht is a rural municipality located 10.5 miles (17 km) southwest of Marrakech. The municipality has a town center, also called Tameslouht, and 34 smaller villages scattered throughout, with an estimated 2020 population of 34,316. Tameslouht center holds an estimated 11,061 people, or 31.4% of the total population. 

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The town has been experiencing rapid growth because of its close proximity to Marrakech. Between 2004 and 2014, Tameslouht commune witnessed an exponential growth from 21,400 inhabitants to 28,977 (34%) and the town center growing from 6,346 to 9,093 (43.4%). This has increased the demand for housing and public services to provide for the extra waste produced.

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Tameslouht’s artisan sector is the main economic driver, aside from olive oil, with a reputation for their pottery. Each of these producing environmentally harmful by-products to the community. In addition, half of the town's population (and Morocco) is under the age of 24, causing limited job opportunities but also creating the potential for new interests and movements in sustainable development and green technology. Resilient Communities wants to assist Tameslouht in establishing innovative infrastructure and economic models as the prototype to replicate and scale to other towns in Morocco experiencing the same circumstances.