We use an innovative methodology to model the socioeconomic linkages between water, energy, and food in the East Nile Basin. Based upon a theoretical nexus framework, the methodology is expanded into a quantifiable modeling suite that under-lies the analysis of each of three country case studies. The advantages are that, despite resource shortages being a challenge, the modeling suite aids in devising policies and strategies that formulate these sectoral interdependencies and provide the evidence-based research results necessary for their design in a way that exploits synergies existing across sectors, countries, and regions (Al-Zubari n.d.). This paper lays out the methodology and gives an example of an application and scenarios by focusing on three countries in the East Nile Basin. This methodology paper will be followed by three individual country case studies that highlight the water, energy, and food nexus for each. | Non-PR | IFPRI1; CRP2; EgyptSSP; A Ensuring Sustainable food production; D Transforming Agriculture; E Building Resilience; The Water Energy Food Nexus | DSGD; PIM; EPTD | CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)

This book provides a survey of technologies available to tackle the problems associated with climate change in the energy, water, and food security nexus with a special focus on the Middle East. It is divided into three main sections. The energy section consists of six chapters, the water section of seven chapters, and finally the food security section has six chapters. The individual chapters are authored by experts and provide discussions and in-depth views on the current status of each topic.

Given the water-food-energy interconnections, integrated planning, policy and management using the nexus approach are required for the food production system. In this study the nexus and non-nexus approaches are compared to propose an optimal cropping patternthat considers water, energy and economic parameters. Linear optimization was applied to compare i) the nexus approach utilizing an objective function to maximize a water-food-energy nexus index and 2) the non-nexus approach utilizing three objective functions for water use, energy use, and agricultural net return. The study showed that the nexus approach is the best. Applying it through a water-food-energy nexus index provides a holistic method for identifying an optimal cropping pattern that reduces water and energy consumption and increases the agricultural net return.

There have been calls for an overhaul of regulatory and governance frameworks to incorporate the implications of the water-energy-food nexus. We map one small component of the regulatory space of the nexus and highlight its immense complexity. We draw on insights from the economics and socio-legal literatures to show that a decentralised approach to regulation based upon procedural justice can enable the trade-offs of the nexus to be considered and addressed. We use a nexus case study of micro hydro-electricity generation in Dartmoor National Park in England to show that when we take into account interactions between state and non-state regulation, the economic concepts of interdependencies and transaction costs, and a recognition that regulation of the nexus is a process involving decisions of procedural justice, some existing regulatory frameworks are already well-equipped to deal with the implications of nexus analysis.

This special issue aims to provide a knowledge base that is focused on geospatial mapping approaches for a better understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics of agricultural intensification from food/water security standpoints. This issue is of special importance to researchers engaged in applications of geospatial technologies in various agricultural science and engineering disciplines including agronomy, hydrology, geography, climatology, computer science, and engineering | Mahesh Rao, Chandrashekhar Biradar, Sudhanshu Panda. (1/1/2017). Agricultural Intensification: Combating Food/Water Security Challenges Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Α novel methodology for addressing policyinconsistencies and knowledge gaps that hinder thetransition to a greater resource efficiency Europe isproposed. We focus on the integration of all differentsectors that interact and influence each other, namely the“water- energy- food- land use- climate nexus” and wedevelop tools for identifying and quantifying their complexinterlinkages under the influence of climate change. Inorder to achieve this, we employ a series of sophisticatedmodels (referred to as “thematic models”), each of whichaddresses a different nexus dimension, or a combination ofa few, while none addresses all nexus dimensions in anintegrative manner. We use dynamic systems modelingand other complexity science techniques in order to“merge” different thematic model outputs in a singlecoherent result, which is presented to the user in an easy tocomprehend Serious Game environment. This way, theeffect of policies that are designed to affect one field(nexus dimension) on others can be quantified andsimulated, thus informing policy-makers for theunintended consequences of their policies, reducinguncertainties, covering knowledge gaps and leading to aresource efficient Europe faster.

Food security is a critical issue for the Arabian Peninsula countries due fast population growth, reduced domestic food production and the tighter global food markets because of trading partners‘ strained export surpluses. Water scarcity is a major concern for the AP. The renewable water resources per capita is considered the lowest in the world and has decreased from 1250 m3 in 1950 to 76.2 m3 in 2014. Furthermore, the projected water demand in AP for the year 2025 will exceed the double of the current groundwater availability, estimated at 8030M m3. In response to the alarming water situation, ICARDA in collaboration with the National Agricultural and Extension Systems (NARES) has established a program in AP, which has developed, evaluated, and introduced technology packages that empower growers to produce high-quality crops with less water. These technologies include: 1) the integrated forage production system based on indigenous plant species; 2) the introduction of spineless cactus as animal feed; and 3) protected agriculture with associated developed technologies such as soilless culture (hydroponics). Similarly, ICARDA and NARS works on date palm has resulted in improving water and land productivity for date production. Such water saving technology packages are being transferred to farmers in AP region through ICARDA and National scientists and extension agents. Conclusively, a noticeable impact on the on-farm water management through the increased productivity per unit of water and land created. The demand for more applied research in the region is inevitable to ensure an adequate level of food security based on Climate-smart agriculture practice.

Understanding of water distribution in plant-based food material is crucial for developing an accurate heat and mass transfer drying model. Generally, in plant-based food tissue, water is distributed in three different spaces namely, intercellular water, intracellular water, and cell wall water. For hygroscopic material, these three types of water transport should be considered for actual understanding of heat and mass transfer during drying. However, there is limited study dedicated to the investigation of the moisture distribution in a different cellular environment in the plant-based food material. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the proportion of intercellular water, intracellular water, and cell wall water inside the plant-based food material. During this study, experiments were performed for two different plant-based food tissues namely, eggplant and potato tissue using 1H-NMR-T2 relaxometry. Various types of water component were calculated by using multicomponent fits of the T2 relaxation curves. The experimental result showed that in potato tissue 80-82% water exist in intracellular space; 10-13% water in intercellular space and only 4-6% water exist in the cell wall space. In eggplant tissue, 90-93% water in intracellular space, 4-6% water exists in intercellular space and the remaining percentage of water is recognized as cell wall water. The investigated results quantify different types of water in plant-based food tissue. The highest proportion of water exists in intracellular spaces. Therefore, it is necessary to include different transport mechanism for intracellular, intercellular and cell wall water during modelling of heat and mass transfer during drying. © 2017 Author(s).

We use an innovative methodology to model the socioeconomic linkages between water, energy, and food in the East Nile Basin. Based upon a theoretical nexus framework, the methodology is expanded into a quantifiable modeling suite that under-lies the analysis of each of three country case studies. The advantages are that, despite resource shortages being a challenge, the modeling suite aids in devising policies and strategies that formulate these sectoral interdependencies and provide the evidence-based research results necessary for their design in a way that exploits synergies existing across sectors, countries, and regions (Al-Zubari n.d.). This paper lays out the methodology and gives an example of an application and scenarios by focusing on three countries in the East Nile Basin. This methodology paper will be followed by three individual country case studies that highlight the water, energy, and food nexus for each.

CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM); CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) | Al-Riffai Perrihan et al., 'Linking the economics of water, energy, and food: A nexus modeling approach', , IFPRI, 2017