Fezzan - How to develop an underprivileged, rich region?
Fezzan, Libya’s southwestern region, is home to just about 600,000 people and the location of a major share of Libya’s oil resources.
But it is not Libya’s most developed part, as one might assume, but far behind the other regions. There is a lack of infrastructure of all kinds, living circumstances for most of the population are dire. The vast ungoverned space of Fezzan is used by the world's most infamous terrorist organizations and rebel groups from neighboring countries as a safe haven. Smuggling and human trafficking have replaced the former Sahara trade. The population does not have a lot of positive perspectives …
So the question remains, how to develop an underprivileged, rich region?
Here is what our Advisory Board has to say:
Report: Libyan International Forum for Spatial Development
Theme: Challenges of reality and the steps of the beginning
Date: Jan 4 - 5, 2023
Location: Mahari Hotel, Tripoli
This is a scientific Conference on Spatial Development in Southern Libya, it is the second event on the same theme. The first was held in 2021 in Bawanis municipality.
The planned start on day 1 was 10.00am, but 12.40pm was the real start, because Deputy PM Ramadan Abu Jinnah, who comes from Fezzan, and a number of ministers were late to arrive.
There were 8 out of 11 planned paper presentations on the first day and 8 out of 9 on the second day.
Dr. Ali Hamed was the first to talk about the conference preparations and the workings of the scientific committee, and the diversity of technical papers they received. The papers ranged from transportation projects, to green Hydrogen production, but legal and technical issues on free and transit zones were approved for presentation.
Thereafter, Deputy PM Abu Jinnah talked about spatial development and its importance for the South of Libya.
Minister of Trade and Industry Muhamad Al Hawaij was very clear about the critical role of transit trade and free zones within Libya for the development of the local economy.
On the first day the first presentation started at 13.35. On the second day, the beginning was earlier, at 10.00. The papers on the first and second day covered the necessary elements for a successful activation of the southern economy; namely infrastructure, sea and airports, cargo stations, roads and railways, human resources, legal framework, policies and procedures, financing, and after all security and role of law.
Other presentations covered topics such as green hydrogen, iron ore in Wadi Al Shati, harmonization of laws between African countries, information technology services, and logistical services.
Not all papers did possess a focus on the needs of the South or gave real focus on the needs of the South. The idea behind this technical conference is to boost the southern image to be able to face the increasing needs of the residents and also to play an important role to benefit from the southern neighboring countries by transit trade and exchange of services and goods. But the papers were general in nature and examples were designed to identify needs of southern municipalities and/or businesses. The audience expected to see real examples of activities and addressing local development issues within the southern Libya region and use the local capacities and resources, but authors/presenters went for generalizations with no special focus on the south.
More than 17 Libyan entities sponsored/supported this scientific conference.
(author: a participant at the conference)
SEVERAL MORE STATEMENTS COMING SOON!