LINKAGES BETWEEN ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIETY IN THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS OF MOROCCO

Energy management practices in the Imlil region of the High Atlas were investigated, and household surveys determined inputs of food, fuel, fodder, fertilizer, and human and animal power. An energy system appro ach was used to model and analyze the man-environment equilibrium by c alculating annual flows of energy, matter, and money for the Ait Mizan e tribe. Resource use is characterized by the presence of disproportio nate energy hardships due to historical patterns of extraction, the em ergence of compensatory intensification strategies on private lands, a nd a rapidly expanding recourse to market energy alternatives. The res ults show the potential of an energy system approach to assess the mul tiple aspects of sustainable resource management and indicate the need for further micro-level research.