| Abstract |
This impact and engagement project follows on from developments arising from a previous AHRC funded project during which all the surviving and still functioning historic hammams (public bathhouses)of the North African heritage cities were surveyed and documented by the PI. Morocco is where the largest number of still functioning heritage hammams was surveyed and where new hammams are part of the cluster of key urban facilities introduced in every newly residential neighbourhood. This proposal is based on new developments that have emerged from the UN climate change conference COP22, held in Marrakech 2016 and during which Moroccan hammams were presented as major contributors to air pollution, deforestation and environmental degradation as well as high water consumption and wastage. It was estimated at COP22 that Morocco has at least 12 000 hammams, operating with wood burning traditional furnaces. Each hammam consumes on average 1.5 tonnes of wood and between 60 to 120 cubic meter of water per day. The accumulated environmental impact of hammams is significant. Various un-coordinated attempts were made by both National and International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency organisations to reduce their environmental impact by facilitating their energy transition. However, it is estimated today that only 67 hammams out of the 12 000 have made some progress in their energy transition. The main aim of this Follow-on Funding for Impact and Engagement is to facilitate the acceleration of ecological transitions processes in Moroccan hammams. This will be achieved through the establishment of regional key stakeholders' networks in each of Rabat, Fez and Marrakech in order to creatively engage them to communicate and co-produce integrated strategies for multi-sectorial coordinated actions for energy transition, enhanced indoor conditions and responsible water consumption and recycling. This project aims to accomplish the following four objectives: 1.Establish a data base of regional key stakeholders and design social media and web platforms in order to facilitate interaction between them during the one year duration of the project. 2.Conduct 3 sets of three-day regional public engagement and network facilitation events with 120 stakeholders in each of Rabat, Fez and Marrakech. Each of the three days will focus on one specific area of ecological transition: energy transition; improved indoor conditions for health, safety and well being; responsible water consumption and recycling. An engagement case study hammam will be used in each region to form the focus of multi-stakeholders' co-production of realistic and feasible scenarios for ecological transitions. These events are designed to act as catalysts for self-sustaining coordinated regional processes and networks that will accelerate energy transition and ecological practices 3.Co-monitor social media and web platforms for hammam stakeholders to assess the impact of regional events. 4.Co-produce with the National Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency a toolkit for hammam ecological transition and a rating system for Eco-Hammam labelling. The combination of these separate actions will facilitate an integrated approach towards the co-production of holistic eco-hammam practices and the acceleration of their implementation. This project has the potential to be extended to other Maghreb countries of Algeria, Tunisia and Libya where the hammam is still a living heritage. This proposal is GCRF and ODA compliant and meets 3 of the 5 GCRF categories for equitable access to sustainable development namely: sustainable health and well-being; clean air; water and sanitation; affordable, reliable, sustainable energy. |
