Argument

Argument.

Economically speaking, deserts (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.  AAILAL Elouali: President and Coordinator of the International Congress on Desert Economy - Dakhla.

                                Research Professor at the ENCG of Dakhla.