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Scenarios Framing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Challenges in the Mediterranean Area

Received: 5 October 2017     Accepted: 19 October 2017     Published: 29 November 2017
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Abstract

The Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Research and Innovation held in Barcelona in April 2012 recognizes that that there are no alternatives to a deep collaboration between the European Union and its Southern and East Neighbors to cope with their common problems and set a new frame for the cooperation in science and innovation based in the co-design, co-finance and co-ownership of the results of the joint actions. The water-food-energy nexus is a challenge in the Mediterranean area where the effect of climate change and unintended consequences of policies seeking to solve one part of the nexus end up worsening another. A nexus oriented approach meaning integration, inclusion, trans-sectoral vision as well as innovation, which are the basic key to sustainability, is needed to understands the interlinkages and inter-dependencies across water, energy and food sectors through a holistic framework that explicitly defines interactions between systems and the effect one has on another. However, such interactions in the actual frame could be synergetics or antagonistic, and care must be taken to analyze the local circumstances in the handling of the three nexus components before defining possible actions with a nexus vision.

Published in Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science (Volume 6, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13
Page(s) 90-97
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Water-Food-Energy Nexus, Synergies and Antagonisms, NEXUS Components Scenarios, Climate Change, Euro-Mediterranean Policy

References
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[2] World Economic Forum January (2011). Global Risks 2011 Sixth Edition. An initiative of the Risk Response Network.
[3] Hoff, H. (2011). “Understanding the NEXUS”. Background Paper for the Bonn 2011 Conference “The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus”. Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
[4] European Commission (2012). Conclusions and recommendations of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Research and Innovation held in Barcelona, 2-3 April 2012.
[5] FAO (2014). The Water-Energy-Food NEXUS. A new approach in support of food security and sustainable agriculture. Rome.
[6] European Commission (2011). EuroMed-2030. Long term challenges for the Mediterranean Area. D. G. Research and Innovation. EUR 24740.
[7] Halstead, M., Kober, T., van der Zwaan, B. (2014) “Understanding the Energy-Water NEXUS”. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). ECN-E-14-046.
[8] FAO and WWC. (2015). “Toward a water and food secure future: Critical Perspectives for Policy-makers (White paper)”. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, Rome, and, 2015 WORLD WATER COUNCIL, Marseilles.
[9] FAO-HLPE (2015). Water for food security and nutrition. A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, Rome. Full report forthcoming at www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe.
[10] Al-Zubari, W. K. (2014).”Water, Energy and Food nexus in the Arab Region”. World Water Week Abstracts.
[11] Mohtar, R. H., Daher, B. (2014) “Water, energy and food: the ultimate NEXUS”. In Axworthy, T. S. and Adeel, Z. (eds) “Water, Energy and the Arab Awakening”, pp. 63-70, UN University.
[12] Vaux Jr., H. and Dooley, D. (2014) “Bridging Science and Policy in the management of water resources”. In Axworthy, T. S. and Adeel, Z. (eds) “Water, Energy and the Arab Awakening”, pp. 97-114, UN University.
[13] MEDSPRING Project (2015). Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue to Enhance Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Minutes of the Meeting organized in Barcelona 21-23 January 2015. www.medspring.eu
[14] Ferroukh, R., Naguel, D., Lopez-Peña, A., Hodges, T., Mohtar, R., Daher, B., Mohtar S., and Keulertz, M. (2015) “Renewable energy in the water-energy and food NEXUS”, IRENA, January 2015. www.irena.org/Publications
[15] R. W. Sandford, (2014), “Come hell and high water: Hydro-Climatic change and its consequences” in “Water, Energy and the Arab Awakening” Eds. By T. S. Axworthy and Z. Adeel, pp. 87-95, UN University.
[16] D. Wichelns, “Achieving the sustainable development goals pertaining to water and food security” Global Water Forum. http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2015/03/30
[17] A. Hamdy, N. Driouech, A. Hmid, “The water-energy-food security NEXUS in the Mediterranean: challenges and opportunities” Review Paper 10.7252/AGSY 1404023H. 5th International Scientific Agricultural Symposium “Agrosym 2014”.
[18] S. Füle, “European Union Policy toward its Southern Neighbourhood”, IEMed Mediterranean Yearbook 2014.
[19] Policy Brief on future prospects for RES cooperation mechanisms in North Africa. BETTER Project. http://better-project.net
[20] M. Bazilian, H. Rogner, M. Howells, S. Hermann, D. Arent, D. Gielen, P. Steduto, A. Mueller, P. Komor, R. S. J. Tol, K. Yumkella, (2011), “Considering the energy, water and food nexus: Towards an integrated modeling approach”, Energy Policy 39, 7896-7906.
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[22] B. Mayor Rodriguez, E. Lopez Gunn, O. Hernaez Lizarazu, I. Zugasti Gorostidi, “The water-energy-food nexus: Foresight for Research and Innovation in the context of climate change” DG Research and Innovation. European Union. 2015.
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  • APA Style

    Rafael Rodriguez-Clemente. (2017). Scenarios Framing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Challenges in the Mediterranean Area. Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science, 6(6), 90-97. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13

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    ACS Style

    Rafael Rodriguez-Clemente. Scenarios Framing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Challenges in the Mediterranean Area. J. Water Resour. Ocean Sci. 2017, 6(6), 90-97. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13

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    AMA Style

    Rafael Rodriguez-Clemente. Scenarios Framing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Challenges in the Mediterranean Area. J Water Resour Ocean Sci. 2017;6(6):90-97. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13,
      author = {Rafael Rodriguez-Clemente},
      title = {Scenarios Framing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Challenges in the Mediterranean Area},
      journal = {Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science},
      volume = {6},
      number = {6},
      pages = {90-97},
      doi = {10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20170606.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wros.20170606.13},
      abstract = {The Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Research and Innovation held in Barcelona in April 2012 recognizes that that there are no alternatives to a deep collaboration between the European Union and its Southern and East Neighbors to cope with their common problems and set a new frame for the cooperation in science and innovation based in the co-design, co-finance and co-ownership of the results of the joint actions. The water-food-energy nexus is a challenge in the Mediterranean area where the effect of climate change and unintended consequences of policies seeking to solve one part of the nexus end up worsening another. A nexus oriented approach meaning integration, inclusion, trans-sectoral vision as well as innovation, which are the basic key to sustainability, is needed to understands the interlinkages and inter-dependencies across water, energy and food sectors through a holistic framework that explicitly defines interactions between systems and the effect one has on another. However, such interactions in the actual frame could be synergetics or antagonistic, and care must be taken to analyze the local circumstances in the handling of the three nexus components before defining possible actions with a nexus vision.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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Author Information
  • Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelone, Spain

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