Integrated Approaches to Water, Energy, and Sustainable Development in Morocco

Dr. Nezha MEJJAD holds a Ph.D. in Geochemistry and Environment from Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco (2018, awarded “Very Honorable with Committee Praise”). She is a Research Scientist in Marine Geochemistry and Environmental Sustainability at the National Centre for Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (CNESTEN), Rabat, Morocco. Dr. Mejjad’s research focuses on the environmental impacts of human activities on marine and coastal ecosystems, with emphasis on blue carbon sequestration and storage, microplastic and heavy metal pollution, and the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques for marine environmental monitoring. She has more than 10 years of experience in marine environmental studies, including geochemical characterization of sediments, pollution source identification, and reconstruction of historical environmental changes using radiometric dating and isotopic tracers. She has participated in several international collaborations on microplastic contamination, sediment pollution history, and carbon cycling in seagrass and lagoonal ecosystems. Her scientific output includes over 40 peer-reviewed articles, 10 book chapters, and three edited books published or in press with major international publishers. Dr. Mejjad also serves on the editorial boards of several international journals published by prestigious publishers, including Nature and Springer, and contributes to advancing research on marine pollution, blue carbon, and environmental sustainability. Her ongoing work provides critical insights into carbon dynamics and pollution trends in Moroccan coastal systems, supporting climate change mitigation, environmental protection, and the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.