{"id":35384,"date":"2026-08-06T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecoticias.com\/en\/?p=35384"},"modified":"2026-08-06T18:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T22:30:00","slug":"morocco-is-testing-a-porous-sponge-pavement-to-replace-scorching-black-asphalt-in-marrakech-and-agadir-and-pilot-data-show-it-can-run-up-to-16f-cooler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/morocco-is-testing-a-porous-sponge-pavement-to-replace-scorching-black-asphalt-in-marrakech-and-agadir-and-pilot-data-show-it-can-run-up-to-16f-cooler\/35384\/","title":{"rendered":"Morocco is testing a porous ‘sponge’ pavement to replace scorching black asphalt in Marrakech and Agadir, and pilot data show it can run up to 16\u00b0F cooler"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Black asphalt has ruled city streets for generations, but parts of Marrakech and Agadir are reportedly becoming testing grounds for a different surface. Moroccan media<\/a> describe limited experiments that replace selected areas of conventional bitumen with permeable pavement, allowing water to pass below the surface instead of sending every drop toward a drain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea goes far beyond making roads feel less punishing during summer. In the right location, this \u201csponge\u201d pavement can reduce runoff<\/a>, improve drainage, filter some pollutants, and cool itself through evaporation<\/a> when enough moisture is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why black asphalt runs so hot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dark pavement absorbs solar energy during the day and releases part of it later as heat. That helps create the \u201curban heat island<\/a>,\u201d the familiar pattern in which built-up neighborhoods remain hotter than surrounding areas, sometimes well after sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbers can be striking. During an Arizona pilot cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conventional pavement reached about 152\u00b0F around midday, while specially designed cool surfaces remained 10\u00b0F to 16\u00b0F cooler. Anyone who has crossed a parking lot in thin-soled shoes knows the feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How sponge pavement works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Traditional asphalt forms a mostly sealed layer, so rainwater runs across it and into gutters or sewers. Permeable pavement contains connected spaces that let water enter a stone base and, where soil conditions permit, continue into the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once moisture is stored below or within the surface, some of it can evaporate. Evaporation uses heat, much as sweat cools the human body, so the process may lower pavement temperatures while slowing the sudden rush of water during heavy rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is an important catch. Research summarized by Rutgers University found that permeable concrete released 25% to 30% less heat<\/a> than conventional concrete on days after rainfall, yet it could release slightly more heat on dry, sunny days. The cooling benefit depends on moisture, design, and local conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A limited Moroccan experiment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The available reports describe experiments involving some urban surfaces, not a blanket nationwide removal of black asphalt. They also do not provide a public inventory showing how many streets have been treated, so the scale should not be exaggerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reported tests fit a broader shift in Marrakech. Its \u201cMarrakech Sustainable City<\/a>\u201d program, launched in 2023, brings together Morocco\u2019s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, local authorities, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Global Environment Facility to improve climate resilience, mobility, waste management, biodiversity, and energy efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program has $9.5 million in Global Environment Facility funding and is expected to benefit more than 1 million people directly. The pavement experiments are one possible tool within that wider agenda, showing how ordinary infrastructure can become part of climate adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What drivers may notice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For drivers, the clearest benefit may arrive when rain falls. Water that drains through a properly designed surface is less likely to remain in thick films, while the EPA says permeable roadways can reduce spray and improve traction through better drainage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cooler urban microclimate could also lower the demand placed on vehicle air conditioning. That matters for gasoline cars and electric vehicles, but the Moroccan reports contain no measured EV range results, and any gain would probably be modest and dependent on weather, traffic, speed, and time spent on treated streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bigger payoff may be felt at neighborhood level. Less heat radiating from roads and parking areas can make a walk, a bus stop, or an evening meal outdoors more comfortable during that sticky summer heat everyone knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spain offers another approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Across the Mediterranean, Spain tested a related idea<\/a> through the \u201cLIFE HEATLAND<\/a>\u201d project. Instead of relying mainly on water infiltration, its light-colored pavement was designed to reflect more solar energy than conventional asphalt and store less heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Murcia officials installed the material across roughly 258,000 square feet of city streets. At the time, the installation was designed to reduce road-surface temperatures by about 18\u00b0F and nearby air temperatures by roughly 2.7\u00b0F, while sensors tracked heat, humidity, solar radiation, lighting, and noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comparison matters because \u201ccool pavement\u201d is not one single product. Some surfaces reflect sunlight, some encourage evaporation, and some combine several features. Cities must match the material to rainfall, traffic, soil, maintenance capacity, and water availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cross-section
A cross-section demonstrates how permeable pavement allows rainwater to infiltrate through the surface and into the underlying aggregate layer instead of running off.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The limits beneath the surface<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Permeable pavement is not a drop-in replacement for every highway or busy avenue. Fine dirt, tire debris, and sediment can clog its pores, so periodic cleaning and careful stormwater design are essential if the surface is to keep draining over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavy traffic, extreme loads, and polluted runoff can also make certain sites unsuitable. That is why many current applications focus on sidewalks, plazas, parking areas, rest areas, and lightly traveled streets rather than promising a total end to conventional asphalt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water scarcity<\/a> adds another layer in Marrakech, where rising temperatures and intensifying heat stress are already pressuring city infrastructure. When stored moisture disappears, evaporative cooling fades too, so planners must balance the desire for cooler streets with the need to use water carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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