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The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) framework is widely used to address sustainability and resource management questions. However, many WEF methods fail to engage stakeholders in the process. This study introduces a stakeholder-driven and model-supported decision-making framework. This methodology is applied to the Souss-Massa basin which has significant importance for the agricultural sector in Morocco, yet faces increasing water scarcity.
Figure 1: Water resources of Souss-Massa River Basin. Source: Almulla et al., 2022.
The Souss-Massa River Basin is home to 2.56 million people and ranks among the top Moroccan agricultural zones. Souss-Massa produces 85 percent of the country’s vegetables and more than half of the exported citrus. About half of the region’s workforce is employed by the agriculture sector.
While irrigation comprises about 94 percent of total water demand in the region, water scarcity increasingly threatens the agriculture industry, driven by climate change and over-extraction of groundwater. The area also relies on fossil fuels for groundwater pumping.
Though the WEF nexus has gained traction in the last 20 years as a method to address issues facing agriculture, the introduction of a participatory component made up of local stakeholders is novel. In concert with stakeholders and decision-makers, researchers used water and energy modelling to assess various solutions to Souss-Massa’s water scarcity, including desalination and wastewater reuse. Their results are published in this Energy for Sustainable Development journal article.
No one solution can act as a panacea for Morocco’s water challenges, but researchers found that solar-powered groundwater pumping is an economically and environmentally viable alternative to fossil fuel-powered pumping and they explain that a combination of strategies can ease strain on water supply.
Project / This project helps countries in the NENA region adopt an analytical framework on the Water-Food-Energy-Climate-Ecosystem Nexus.
Program / SEI researchers apply a range of economic methods to explore the value of water and enable plans that foster cooperation across sectors and boundaries.
Other publication / This book chapter explores the importance of the water-energy-food nexus tool to provide possible future climate adaptation strategies in the Global South.
Journal article / This article discusses how different climate scenarios affect the water-energy nexus in California, employing the WEAP modelling tool.
Feature / A webinar series from FAO, SEI and the Royal Institute of Technology has brought together experts to discuss lessons learned in the Near East and North Africa.
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