ENERGY
Towards a sustainable Chefchaouen
The Municipal Council of Chefchaouen has promoted since 2010 plans and projects to become a sustainable and ecological city in the northern part of Morocco. The aim is to improve the quality of life of citizens and tourists, preserve the environment and reduce the energy consumption, by setting up a Participatory Energy, Climate and Environment Council.
Tags: Energy Efficiency, Green City, Citizen Participation, Sustainable Tourism
Challenges addressed
- Improve the quality of life of citizens and tourists
- Reduce unemployment, especially of young people and women
- Preserve the environment and make better use of the natural resources
- Meet the vital needs of inhabitants
- Anticipate the impact of climate change
Main objectives
- Control and reduce the energy consumption of the municipality
- Enhance local technical skills in sustainable energy management
- Develop a participatory approach to environmental policy formulation
- Share their approach with other areas
Facts
Project type Sustainable energy and environmental management
Promoter Municipality of Chefchaouen
Partners Geres, Amev, Ide-E, Giz, EU
Start date 2015
Budget 1.137.906 Euros
Website http://www.sudepsouth.eu/posts/moroccochefchaouen
Project description
In 2010 the Municipal Council declared the northern city of Chefchaouen an ecological city, with the aim of transforming the city into an ecologically sustainable city, which could serve as a model for other sustainable cities, counting with the support and funding of the European Union and GERES France.
The Municipal Council and the Urban Municipality of Chefchaouen have created environmental policies to promote measures to better manage its natural resources and environment, including the creation of green spaces and launching campaigns to raise awareness about the environment and sustainable development, as well as creating an Energy Information Point.
The city earns its living mainly from tourism, and therefore wants to improve the quality of life not only for its citizens but for tourists. To reach the ambition of becoming a green city, the Urban Municipality of Chefchaouen has set actions and policies to reduce the energy consumption by analysing energy data, modernizing the public lighting network and promoting alternative transport solutions such as bicycles, car-sharing, etc.
The Municipality also enhanced governance and local skills, by training local councillors and officials in energy management. And a very important factor for becoming a green city was raising awareness among citizens, by setting up a participatory, consultative energy council made up of residents and local stakeholders, organizing a festival of light, installing smart bus shelter and placing trilingual educational panels close to the facilities.
Impact and results
- 30 professionals in the transport sector
- 51 decision-makers from the Urban Authority and AMEV
- 250 public officials and technical trained staff
- 70 public, voluntary and private sector stakeholders
- Control the energy consumption of the existing public lighting network, which was 90% of the annual energy cost of the municipality
- Reduction of greenhouse gases emission
- Performing pilot investments in efficient lighting
- Promotion of sustainable energy management
- Creation of an information centre to raise awareness on sustainable energy and environmental management
