Morocco’s Decentralized Energy Transition to Renewable Energies
On 4 and 5 November 2019, the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) organized a Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSP) workshop in collaboration with Germanwatch, a German NGO. The workshop aimed at developing a common understanding of the challenges and solutions for a decentralized energy transition towards 100% renewables in Morocco and all Africa.
This seminar is part of the MSP project for the energy transition towards 100% of renewable energies in Africa, which has two components: the first at the continental level, promoting the ambitious implementation of the African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) in Power Shift Africa Partnership by building a multi-stakeholder partnership to support this initiative. The second component aims to highlight the benefits of decentralization of the renewable energy sector for sustainable development and the energy-water-food nexus. The second component will be implemented together with Moroccan communities.
The idea is to create a project based on the decentralization of renewable energies that will improve sustainable development in Morocco. The first steps of this project will begin in a village, still being identified by the MSP, and its impact will be evaluated with and on the local people. The idea is that the project will be replicated with other villages leading to advancing decentralization of renewable energies in the kingdom.
It was really great to attend this seminar. It was an opportunity to develop my ability to communicate with experts in many fields. I also had the opportunity to benefit from the experience of teachers and frameworks in renewable energies, its important role in developing the standard of living, and how projects of this nature can provide job opportunities for people with significantly diverse backgrounds.
I became aware of how to develop a project idea and how to manage it. In addition, what I learned from the seminar is the method of participatory and respectful dialogue between participants, and how they discuss their opinion publicly and personally. I learned a lot.
The good organization of everything, the arrangements, and the good division of tasks between the organizers greatly contributed to the success of the conference. The HAF team is characterized by a spirit of sharing. They are good leaders who have played a very important role in guiding and helping me to participate and contribute to the success of the seminar.