”Deserts at the center of global economic transformation.”
April 17th - 18th 2019, Dakhla, Morocco.
ENCG Dakhla.
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In the context of a global economic transformation, comes the second edition of the International Congress on Desert Economy – Dakhla (ICDED), annually co-organized by the National School of Business and Management (ENCG) of Dakhla-Morocco and the Regional Council of the Dakhla Oued Eddahab region.
The ultimate purpose of The International Congress on Desert Economy, is to be an interdisciplinary scientific research platform on the desert and the Sahara (arid lands, hot drylands, semi-arid regions, oasis and rural remote areas) economy, management and development, in order to contribute effectively to the good governance and in the sustainable development of arid lands and zones, 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, the Gulf States, the United States of America, China, Australia...), 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, and innovation, around themes related to the desert economy and to the arid lands management, such as Tourism and travel industry, Agriculture and aquaculture, Renewable energy and energy management, Mining and Natural Resources Management, Transportation and logistics, Fisheries, sea and ocean economy, Technology and innovation, Water sports and entertainment, sports economy and sports management, Cultural, tangible and intangible heritage, Nature, environment and biodiversity conservation...Thus each year, an edition will be organized. This edition will be held on April 17th and 18th, 2019 in Dakhla - Morocco.
Besides the main theme of this second edition entitled “ Deserts at the center of global economic transformation,” it will also be devoted to addressing general issues on the desert (Sahara) economy management and its sustainable development.
Argument.
Economically speaking, deserts or arid lands (including the Sahara) have been for decades an incubator of non-renewable energies and raw materials (especially the oil revolution). Sustainability and governance concerns have triggered numerous pertinent questions which have led to rethinking the global development process, due to its close dependence on energy transformation, from non-renewable energies to renewable, clean and more efficient ones. Actually, deserts are a rich land in terms of non-traditional economic opportunities. Surprisingly and contrary to all stereotypes about this territory, deserts will be in the core of alternative and innovative solutions that will shape the world's economic transition, towards new sustainable economic patterns.
For instance, deserts turned to be the perfect place for energy's crisis solutions, which will contribute significantly in neutralizing its heavy burden on the bills of both countries and households, as renewable energy efficiency will greatly reduce price, and thus, it will increase the consumer's purchasing power, the decreasing level of the latter, has begun to threaten the social peace in many places in the world, due to the high cost of fossil fuels.
Starting from the fact that the greatest deserts, all over the world, are located in Africa and from the promoting geographical configuration of this continent, a huge collective effort on desert’s economic rehabilitation is urgently required, in order to enhance the international trade logistics, ocean (blue) economy and Africa's structuring mega-projects. Indeed, desert's coastal richness suggests an eventual international cooperation, to upgrade its blue economy, by optimizing the logistic supply chain, as logistics is one of the greatest challenges in such vast deserts.
Dr. Elouali AAILAL: President and Coordinator of the International Congress on Desert Economy - Dakhla. Research Professor at the ENCG of Dakhla.
