Crisis communication and forest fires in northern Morocco: the public authority in residents’ narratives

Abstract

The forest fires that struck northern Morocco in 2021 and 2022 triggered a major emergency response, yet the place of the public authority in the experience of affected populations remains understudied. This article examines the crisis communication of the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF) from the residents’ point of view. It draws on eighteen personal experience narratives collected in 2024 in the provinces of Chefchaouen, Larache and Al Hoceima, analysed through thematic content analysis. The findings show that the ANEF is never named by the narrators. Local authorities receive all of the institutional recognition, while village solidarity dominates the narratives. No narrative reports an institutional warning received before the fire reached the village, nor any psychological support after the crisis, even though the after-effects described are long-lasting. We interpret this as a gap in the post-crisis phase: public communication, focused on mass prevention and technical intervention, leaves without a counterpart population whose foremost need is to be listened to. The article concludes with recommendations for a proximity-based communication that includes support for victims.

Keywords: crisis communication, public communication, forest fires, life narrative, ANEF, resilience, Morocco.

Received Date: August 17, 2026

Accepted Date: September 09, 2026

Published Date: October 01, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/980