Rural energy systems in Moroccan highlands: A case study of Imlil

It is generally recognized that the delivery of energy at affordable prices to rural communities is a key factor in effective rural development. Energy is a major instrument for the improvement of household living standards, increased agricultural production and storage, the development of local industries, and the access of these communities to area and national markets. In this sense, it can be considered a pivotal production frontier for economic activity and social development. In Morocco, strategies to provide energy to rural highland communities are currently hampered by an inadequate knowledge of village energy systems. Little is known about the energy needs of specific groups toward which new energy delivery programs are being directed. The physical, sociological, and economic interdependencies regarding energy use are key determinants to successful technological intervention and were examined in the context of a cluster of representative highland villages in Morocco. Field research was carried out in a valley of the High Atlas mountains known as Imlil. The study developed a comprehensive understanding of the operating energy system by an examination of the use of food, fuel, fodder, fertilizer, and animate energy resources. Energy use patterns were described in a threefold explanatory matrix. Firstly, the resource base was examined by scrutinizing the production, consumption, and distribution of food, fuel, fodder, and fertilizer energy. Secondly, the management of these resources was analyzed through an examination of the social institutions which regulate land tenure and labor organization. Thirdly, the interaction of the components impacting energy use was mathematically modeled by the development of energy system flow diagrams for each major social grouping. Sixteen summary characterizations are offered regarding the role of energy in the daily life of the Ait Mizane. Though strained, the Imlil energy system displays a functional state of equilibrium. Energy flows are strongly interconnected, communal lands are keenly vital, and management of the resource base is firmly entrenched in social networks of accountability. A number of planning implications are offered which focus on the viability of the research methodology, emerging policy directions, and future research