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Dakhla International Congress on Desert Economy. Energy Economics, Oceans

Register here [1].

The Third International Congress on Desert Economy: Energy Economics between Deserts and Oceans. October 20 and 21, 2021, Dakhla, Morocco

About this event

The Third International Congress on Desert Economy: Energy Economics between Deserts and Oceans. [2]

October 20th – 21st , 2021, ENCG Dakhla, Dakhla, Morocco.

https://sahara-economy3.sciencesconf.org [2]

The ultimate purpose of The International Congress on Desert Economy [3], is to be an interdisciplinary scientific research platform on the desert, arid lands, and the Sahara (hot drylands, hyperarid or semi-arid regions, oasis and rural remote areas) economy, management, and development (rural development), in order to contribute effectively to the good governance and in the sustainable development of arid lands worldwide, by attracting and promoting investment opportunities in the Sahara and deserts, and by stimulating meetings between all stakeholders on a global scale: Academics, Professionals, Policy-Makers, Civil society and NGOs…, with a view to fostering cooperation and partnership, among desert countries: Africa and the Gulf States (the MENA and the Sahel…), the United States of America, Australia, China, India…, with the aim of valuing and promoting the desert knowledge and its related studies’ and conferences’ findings and recommendations, and creating a conducive environment to the exchange of experiences, expertise, trainings, educational practices and innovation, around themes related to the desert economy and to the arid lands management, such as Tourism, travel industry and tourism economics; Agriculture, aquaculture, and agricultural economics (rural economics); The Economics of Water; Renewable energy, energy economics, and energy management; Mining and natural resource management; Transportation and logistics; Fisheries, maritime, sea, and ocean economy; Technology and innovation; Water sports and entertainment, sports economy and sports management; Cultural, tangible and intangible heritage; Biodiversity, wetlands, environment, and nature conservation and management…Thus, each year, an edition will be organized.

Besides the main theme of this third edition entitled “Energy Economics between Deserts and Oceans,” it will also be devoted to addressing general issues on the desert (Sahara) economy management and its sustainable development.

The International Congress on Desert Economy – Dakhla (ICDED) is annually co-organized by the National School of Business and Management (ENCG) of Dakhla – Morocco and the Regional Council of Dakhla Oued Eddahab region. This third edition will be held in Dakhla – Morocco, on October 20th and 21st, 2021.

Note that this third edition of the International Congress on Desert Economy – Dakhla. was supposed to be organized on the last April 21st and 22th , 2020, but due to the current situation related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), it’s rescheduled to the next year on October 20th and 21st, 2021.

Organizing committee.

Dr. Elouali AAILAL: President and Coordinator of the International Congress on Desert Economy. Dakhla

President of the “Desert Action” Association, Dakhla. Morocco.

Members:

Argument.

Gradually we recognize the incredible benefits of inter-African collaboration (and the enormous cost of the lack of inter-African cooperation) both for Africa itself and for the world.

Thanks to multilateral African and international cooperation, deserts and arid lands across the globe, especially in Africa (The Sahara and the Sahel), with their vast and rich natural maritime seaboards and coastlines, are an open workshop and a scene of substantial and Trans-Saharan megaprojects and infrastructures: The DESERTEC Project (Clean and renewable energy), the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (Greening the Sahara and combating the desertification), the Trans Africa Pipeline Project (Water), the “Power Africa” Initiative, the “Desert to Power” Initiative…Such promising Megaprojects and Initiatives, if fully executed, will undoubtedly contribute to rebirthing Africa into holding its deserved high stature, and will play a pivotal role in keeping up with sustainable development and in ensuring African food security, even more, they will provide abundance in the production for export.

The Possible Africa, where there are all ingredients: Diversity and younger population, richness in natural resources, unique geographical configuration and morphology: Savannah, forests, mountains, lakes, vast coasts, deserts, and the Great Sahara Desert. The Sahara Desert, instead of being underexploited, it could be an exclusive competitive advantage and the mythical and memorable brand image for Africa, and it may be the ideal place to boot a strong and long term inter-African and international cooperation in the service of humankind.

The targeted sustainable development in arid lands, just like anywhere else, is governed by an environmental transformation that will fundamentally change our lifestyle, as sustainability is its corn stone. Concepts like the green economy or circular economy, the blue or ocean economy, and ecotourism (desert tourism) are all plainly supposed to be renewable energy dependant. Thus, the environmental impact of any human activity, such as, travel and tourism industry, land and maritime transport, shipping and logistics, agricultural and fishing… is a major criterion that will tag the range of receptivity and continuity of these economic activities, in the light of an increasingly environmentally-friendly legal arsenal, with a focus on green finance and cleantech.

As a matter of fact, economic development worldwide is entirely dependent on the interactions between energy and economy systems, where our dependence on clean and renewable energy becomes more and more confirmed. Energy Economics could be defined as a branch of economic studies devoted to quantitatively and qualitatively deciphering our well-being and prosperity in their interaction with energy resources.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, by 2050, the overall total investment in the energy system would need to reach USD 110 trillion (around 2% of average annual GDP over this period), the level of extra investments required to set the world on a more climate-friendly path above current plans and policies, is USD 15 trillion. The share of renewables in the world’s total final energy consumption has to increase six times faster to match up to agreed climate goals, precisely, the seventh Sustainable Development Goal, which states for ensuring that everyone will be able to have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. For that, international financial flows to developing countries, in support of clean and renewable energy, reached USD 18.6 billion in 2016, almost doubling from USD 9.9 billion in 2010. This trend is likely to increase due to the promising opportunities offered by a steady decline in renewable energy production costs, leading to lower prices.

So far, in some countries, oceans and seas still the primary sources of conventional energy (oil, gas), despite their richness in marine renewable energies (offshore energy): traditional marine renewable energies (ocean wind energy and ocean solar energy), wave energy and tidal energy, as specific forms of marine (ocean) power. Also, knowing that ocean-based renewable energy has not yet achieved the economies of scale necessary for significant cost reductions, but, as oceans and seas cover more than 70 % of the Earth’s surface, it’s not surprising that a large share of future energy production will probably come from ocean-based renewable energy. To show the potential energy glut, published studies have shown that the ocean wind energy potential is so significant and large enough that it could, theoretically, be used to propel human civilization.

Morocco took up the challenge of increasing green renewable energy production from total renewable energy to 52 % by 2030, initially set at 42 % by 2020. This specific achievement becomes a reality thanks to the adoption of an ambitious energy strategy, including generating renewable energies in Moroccan deserts: The Solar Complex (Noor) in Ouarzazate, the largest wind farm in Africa located in the coastal desert of the city of Tarfaya, and last but not least, the project to be implemented in the Sahara of the Dakhla region, aiming to generate renewable and clean energy, from wind, this wind energy will be used in mining the cryptocurrencies based on Blockchain technology, such as the Bitcoin.

Dr. Elouali AAILAL. Founder and President of the International Congress on Desert Economy. Dakhla, Morocco.

Scientific committee.

Themes.

As the International Congress on Desert Economy – Dakhla, is an interdisciplinary scientific research platform on the desert and arid regions, and due to the lack in economic and scientific literature on deserts, arid zones, and the Sahara, there will be a variety of themes, and contributions will focus mainly on one of the following (non-exhaustive) themes:

  1. Trans-Saharan Megaprojects and Initiatives (Trans-African):
    • The DESERTEC Project;
    • The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative;
    • The Trans Africa Pipeline Project (Water);
    • The “Power Africa” Initiative;
    • The “Desert to Power” Initiative;
    • The Morocco – Nigeria Gas Pipeline and the Trans Sahara Gas Pipeline (TSGO);
    • The “Prosper Africa” Initiative;
    • The MENA and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (China’s new silk road).
  2. Regional and Inter-African Economic Cooperation and Partnerships in the Sahara and the Sahel.
  3. International Cooperation on Arid Lands R&D (on deserts and the Sahara).
  4. Business, Entrepreneurship, and Investments in Arid Lands (Deserts, Sahara) and Remote Rural Areas.
  5. Energy Business, Entrepreneurship in Energy, and Energy Management.
  6. Energy, Desertification, Climate Change (Resilience and Adaptation), and Environment.
  7. Renewable Energy and Energy Transition.
  8. Offshore Renewable Energy, Marine Wind Energy and Marine Solar Energy (Ocean Power).
  9. Wave Energy and Tidal Energy.
  10. Low Carbon Energy: Power-to-X and Green Hydrogen (economic, social, and environmental aspects).
  11. Deserts (Arid lands, Sahara) and Global Economic Transformation.
  12. The Economics of Water, Energy, and Hydraulic Resources Management.
  13. Energy Supply and Demand.
  14. Energy Crisis Management, Energy Risk Management, and the Impacts of Coronavirus Crisis on Energy Sector (Pre-crisis, during, and Post COVID-19 crisis).
  15. Access to Energy and Energy Security.
  16. Conventional Energy Resources: Oil, Gas, and Coal.
  17. Energy in Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality Industry.
  18. Energy in Agribusiness, Aquabusiness (aquaculture), and Fisheries Business (Halieutic).
  19. Energy and Food Security in Drylands, Arid Agriculture (Desert Agriculture) and Biosaline Agriculture (economic, social and environmental aspects).
  20. Livestock Economics, Management, and Production (Camels, Sheep, Cows…).
  21. Agricultural Economics (rural economics).
  22. Sustainable Mobility (Ecomobility), Transportation, and Logistics.
  23. Energy Economics Modeling.
  24. Energy Policy, Law, and Regulation.
  25. New Technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain…) and Energy Efficiency (economic, social and environmental aspects).
  26. Sustainable Off-Grid Electricity for Rural and Remote Areas, and Poverty Reduction.
  27. Economic Geology and Economic Geography.
  28. Arid Lands (Deserts and the Sahara) Tourism (Ecotourism, Nature Tourism, Sustainable Tourism), Travel, and Hospitality Industry.
  29. Ocean Economy, Sea Economy (Maritime), and Blue Economy.
  30. Economics and Management of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
  31. Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality Industry (Tourism Economics).
  32. Sports Economy, Water (nautical) Sports Management, and Recreation Economy.
  33. Cultural Entrepreneurship and Management of Tangible and Intangible Heritage (Arts, Creative Industries, Traditional Crafts, and Artisans.)
  34. Green Economy, Circular Economy, and Sustainable Development.
  35. Social and Solidarity Economy, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
  36. Public Policy (Planning and Spatial Development), Regional Development (Territorial Development) and Rural Development (Rural Entrepreneurship).
  37. Public/Private Investment and Business Climate.
  38. International Collaboration and Trade Logistics.
  39. Migrations and SDGs.
  40. Management, Governance, and Sustainability Issues.
  41. Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Innovation.
  42. Knowledge Economy and Human Capital.
  43. Finance and Financial System.
  44. Digital Economy.
  45. Economic Intelligence.

Publication.

It is planned to publish the accepted and presented papers during the congress, in a collective work (in the Proceedings of the Congress).

Best selected papers will also be published in The International Journal of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management (IJSEPM) and / or in The International Journal of Economics and Management Research (IJEMARE).

The languages of the Congress are: English, Arabic, French and Spanish.

PhD Workshop.

A PhD workshop will be organized as part of the third International Congress on Desert Economy, Dakhla. The challenge is to allow PhD students to make a short oral presentation (6 min at most) on their theses work at various stages of advancement. This doctoral workshop is organized in the context of the importance given by our School to young researchers. We are committed to fostering their integration into the scientific community. PhD students in various disciplines (Economics, Management, Geography, Environment, Culture …), are invited to submit the summary of the most important points of their theses.

Further information about this PhD Workshop is available in the section “PhD Workshop”, on our website:

https://sahara-economy3.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/8 [4]

Sahara Desert Excursion

(Combine pleasure, business and science)

The Desert Action association, organize on Thursday, February 25, 2021, an excursion to the desert of Sbita (160km from Dakhla). This excursion is part of the post-congress program of the Third International Congress on Desert Economy. This is an opportunity to savor the beauty of this region.

Further information about this Excursion is available in the section “Sahara Desert Excursion”, on our website:

https://sahara-economy3.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/12 [5]

The Desert Action Association, Dakhla, Morocco

https://web.facebook.com/Desert-Action-343917626009142/ [6]

The Sbita Desert:

In the middle of nowhere, to combine business with pleasure.

The most peaceful and joyful moments in the middle of nowhere, “The Sbita Desert”, with its sandy horizons, adorned by the most amazing desert tree: the Acacia (raddiana), under its refreshing shadows, while listening to some classic tones of the Desert (Hassani music), you will attend a “desert barbecue” and you will taste the traditional dish of southern provinces: “Rice with camel meat”. Of course, this time of entertainment is interrupted by three ritual and special moments, those of the presentation of the famous three cups of “Saharan Tea”, prepared under a tent of the desert.

This moment of relaxation and contemplation, is not a moment of inactivity, but also an opportunity to combine business with pleasure: Times of exploration, curiosity and popular science. The light will be put on certain phenomena that take place in the desert: Meteorological (precipitation and plants of the desert), geological (formation of dunes), archaeological…

Also this will be an opportunity raise awareness for students and high school pupils of astronomy and space field experimentation and simulation in desert, and it will also be a suitable moment to underscore the economic potential of Space industry, the economics of space, and all space-related economic activities that takes place in Deserts, Sahara, and Arid lands.

And above all, the central desert place around the world and its promising economic potential: desert tourism (Sahara), sport and adventure tourism, renewable energies, agriculture, raw materials and minerals, oceanic economy (blue), desert technology, tangible and intangible heritage (cultural) … etc

Departure from Dakhla: Thursday, February 25, 2021, at 09:00 H.

Return to Dakhla: In the evening around 19:00 H.

The menu:

Beet salad (Barba salad)

Tomato salad

Pasta salad

Cucumber salad

Nicoise salad

Rice with camel meat (the traditional dish in the southern provinces)

Grilled chicken

Grilled sheep

Grilled kebabs

Drinks

Bread

Saharan tea.

About this Congress.

The idea of the International Congress on Desert Economy, arose for the first time in the framework of the “Desert Action” association, in Dakhla, the first Moroccan and African association specialized in Arid Lands, Desert, and Sahara economy development (rural development), business, and management, then, thanks to an official convention between the National School of Business and Management (ENCG) of Dakhla and the Regional Council of the Dakhla Oued Eddahab Region, this agreement provides for the annual co-organization of this Congress.

https://web.facebook.com/Desert-Action-343917626009142/ [6]

The web page of the last edition of the International Congress on Desert Economy – Dakhla 2019:

https://sahara-economy.sciencesconf.org [9]

The web page of the first edition of the International Congress on Desert Economy –Dakhla 2018:

https://desert-economy1.sciencesconf.org [10]

#dakhla #morocco #sahara #maroc #ENCGDakhla #laayoune #ENCG_Dakhla

المؤتمر الدولي الثالث حول اقتصاديات الصحراء ـ الداخلة. المغرب.

اقتصاديات الطاقة بين الصحراء والمحيط.

المدرسة الوطنية للتجارة والتسيير. جهة الداخلة واد الذهب.

الدكتور الوالي عيلال

Le Troisième Congrès International sur l’Économie du Désert.

“Économie de l’Énergie entre Déserts et Océans.”

Les 20 et 21 Octobre 2021, ENCG Dakhla.

l’École Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion, ENCG Dakhla, Maroc.

Think globally, act locally.

https://sahara-economy3.sciencesconf.org/ [2]

https://web.facebook.com/Desert-Action-343917626009142/ [6]

E-mail: economydesert@gmail.com [11] Phone: +212618086893

www.encg-dakhla.ac.ma [12]

https://web.facebook.com/ENCG.DAKHLA.Desert.Sahara.Economy.Development.Conf/ [13]

Note that this third edition of the International Congress on Desert Economy – Dakhla. was supposed to be organized on the last April 21st and 22nd, 2020, but due to the current pandemic situation related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), it’s rescheduled to the next year on October 20th and 21st, 2021.