WEF Nexus Policy Review of Four Mediterranean Countries

Abstract

The Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus describes natural resource use in the context of social needs and economic development, addressing food, water, and energy security. Population growth and rising economic prosperity will increase the demand for energy, food, and water in the Mediterranean region, compromising the sustainable use of resources. As governments are required to make decisions in order to cope with increasing demands for resources, this paper performs a review of the legislation and WEF policies, identifying the main political and institutional actors involved and the possible policy (in)coherence in four MED countries located on two continents: Egypt, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia. This choice will allow the identification of the barriers and catalysts influencing the implementation of WEF policies and will improve our understanding of the WEF trade-offs and synergies by exploring them on national, regional, and local scales.

تحليل وبناء السيناريوهات المختلفة لإنشاء مختبرات الابتكار المفتوحة لمعالجة مشكلات رابطة المياة والطاقة والغذاء في لبنان والأردن

“…The agricultural sector is the largest consumer of water in the area, putting a significant strain on water resources. The management of water resources in the region needs to be improved, and water-saving technologies and practices need to be promoted to ensure sustainable water use (Bazzana et al, 2023). The energy sector in the Mediterranean region is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, and This dependency makes the area vulnerable to fluctuations in global energy prices and supply disruptions.…”

تحليل بيئة الابتكار فى دول البحر الأبيض المتوسط بهدف انشاء مختبرات ابتكار مفتوحة لمعالجة مشكلات رابطة المياة والطاقة والغذاء

“…The Mediterranean region (MED) is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including increased temperatures, reduced rainfall, and more frequent droughts (IPCC, 2022). These countries face unique challenges due to their arid and semi-arid climates, increasing population and tourism pressures, and vulnerability to climate change impacts such as water scarcity and drought (Bazzana et al, 2023). This can have significant implications for the WEF nexus, requiring new strategies and policies to manage these interlinked systems in a sustainable and integrated manner (…”

“…This can lead to conflicts between different sectors and users of water resources. Tunisia, for instance, lays under the water scarcity threshold set by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (Bazzana et al, 2023). In Spain, 11 out of the 15 river basin districts are under water stress due to the increasing demand for agriculture (Ali, et al, 2022).…”

A review of water-energy-food-ecosystems Nexus research in the Mediterranean: evolution, gaps and applications

“…However, a comprehensive review of whether current research across the Mediterranean is aligned with the pressing need of adopting such an integrated approach in managing and governing natural resources is yet to be produced. In fact, assessments of Nexus implementation across the region have to date focused on reviewing projects' case studies (Hoff et al 2019, Malagó et al 2021, analysing policies and legislations (Bazzana et al 2023) and gathering regional experts' opinions (Markantonis et al 2019). No studies have investigated outputs of scientific research specific to the region.…”