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This study, published in Discover Sustainability, aimed to support robust decision-making for planning and management of water-energy-food (WEF) nexus systems in the country of Jordan, addressing the interlinked challenges of water scarcity, agricultural productivity and water quality, and energy independence.
To accomplish the 2030 sustainable development agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential to account for the strong interconnections between SDGs and their underlining systems. Historically, strategies and policies for water, energy and agriculture systems have been produced in silos, not accounting for interconnections between the systems. However, analytical frameworks encompassing the WEF nexus have are instrumental to achieve holistic resource management.
Researchers created a WEF nexus model that integrates three modelling frameworks: the Water Evaluation and Planning system (WEAP) model to estimate water demands, supplies and allocation; the MABIA model to estimate crop production; and a geographic information system (GIS)-based energy modelling tool to estimate energy requirements of the water system.
The outcomes of this study help decision-makers and key stakeholders who govern the three resource systems to understand the trade-offs and synergies of sustainable solutions for Jordan.
Tool / The Water Evaluation and Planning tool (WEAP) provides a comprehensive, flexible and user-friendly framework for policy analysis in water resources planning.
Project / SEI is helping FAO meet sustainable development goals by training technicians to assess water stress at the sub-basin level in Algeria and Tunisia.
Journal article / The water-energy-food nexus has become a popular concept in environmental change research and policy debates.
Journal article / This paper presents insights on how participatory scenario-building processes can create space for dialogue among stakeholders
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