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Series Editor
Alain Dollet
Energy Transition in Metropolises, Rural Areas and Deserts
Louis Boisgibault
Fahad Al Kabbani
First published 2020 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address:
ISTE Ltd
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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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© ISTE Ltd 2020
The rights of Louis Boisgibault and Fahad Al Kabbani to be identified as the authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019951913
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-78630-499-5
Foreword
“Think global, act local” for an ecological transition in the service of man and therefore of the planet, such was the major challenge of the 20th Century which, to paraphrase André Malraux, French novelist and Minister of Cultural Affairs, was “to be of ecology or not to be”.
The global dimension is widely recognized in practice. After the warning issued by the Club of Rome in 1960, the Stockholm Conference in 1972 inaugurated the various earth summits, which have been held every 10 years since then (Nairobi in 1982, Rio in 1992, Johannesburg in 2002, Rio in 2012). Since 1995, the “Conferences of the Parties” have brought together diplomats and experts on climate change every year. Thus, COP21 in Paris in 2015 reached an agreement to fight global warming.
The many international meetings over more than half a century have enabled experts from all over the world to reflect and propose further growth that is more respectful of the environment and the dignity of human beings, but also, through a wealth of literature, for academics from all continents to exchange, discuss and debate on sustainable development.
On the other hand, the local dimension is less studied. More than ideas, it is the actions that must be observed, analyzed and evaluated. From this point of view, the book written by my two former PhD students is very timely. The approach, far from being dogmatic, is first and foremost practical and empirical. This work is the result of many months of investigation by the authors on the different fields they studied. However, the choice of these territories allows them to have a fairly universal view of the issue: developed countries (France), developing countries (Senegal and Morocco), emerging countries (Saudi Arabia), metropolises (Lille and Riyadh) and rural areas (Pays de Fayence), temperate zones and deserts. All the cases encountered at the local level were perceived by the two authors who complement each other admirably in their research. Moreover, the cultural dimension has not been forgotten, even if it is reduced to well-chosen examples.
It is with great satisfaction that I write this foreword, as, having been a thesis supervisor, it is comforting to see that two of my most brilliant students have joined forces to tackle this vast subject essential for the future of the world, the ecological transition. I hope that this book will meet with the success it deserves, because it provides an innovative and precise insight into “local action”, without which the ecological transition cannot be achieved.
Jean GIRARDON
Professor Emeritus
Sorbonne Université
Preface
This book analyzes how the energy transition can be carried out in three types of areas: metropolitan areas, rural areas and deserts. It is based on research carried out in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Lille (France) for metropolitan areas; in the Pays de Fayence (France) and Bokhol (Senegal) for rural areas; in the deserts of the Sahara (Ouarzazate) and Arabia. The challenges of the energy transition are studied taking into account the constraints of each type of space, the projects carried out and technological innovations. How best to combine large connected power plants, production systems for self-consumption, and energy efficiency with energy transmission and distribution networks that must become intelligent? Should spatial planning be organized on the basis of objectives and decisions taken at supranational level (COP21, major directives) or should local initiative be encouraged, depending on the resources instantly available? Lessons are drawn from the fields studied to provide objectives and solutions for Europe, the Middle East and the African region in order to move from carbonaceous energy resources (oil, natural gas and coal) and nuclear to renewable energies without opposing the energy sectors. This book is illustrated with photos and color maps.
The two co-authors, of French and Saudi origin, met in mid-2010 in the Geography and Planning Research Laboratory of the Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV). The Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) became Sorbonne Université on January 1, 2018 through its merger with the Université Pierre et Marie Curie. This laboratory was known as the Spaces, Nature and Culture (ENEC), Joint Research Unit Sorbonne Université / French centre for scientific research and has itself evolved as part of this merger. The co-authors conducted their doctoral
