Executive Summary
Climate Risks and Trust in North Africa: Empowering Local Governance
Written by Héla Miniaoui
North African countries—Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt—are facing a dual crisis of climate fragility and institutional fatigue. Intensifying droughts, rising temperatures, and water scarcity are colliding with persistent centralization, weak municipal autonomy, and declining public trust. The combined effect is an erosion of both environmental security and democratic legitimacy.
This Policy Brief argues that green decentralization—the devolution of environmental governance, climate planning, and fiscal authority to local governments—offers a strategic path to restore confidence in public institutions while advancing adaptation and sustainability. Empowered municipalities can translate climate action into visible, community-anchored outcomes that make democracy tangible in everyday life. Integrating participatory governance, fiscal transparency, and local innovation can transform climate risk into an opportunity for democratic renewal across North Africa.