A Systemic Approach to Addressing Water-Energy-Food Nexus Security in Arab Countries

Abstract

Arab countries face increasing threats from climate change, which exacerbates existing interconnected challenges related to water, energy, and food security. The complex nature of these challenges necessitates a systems approach to understanding their interrelationships and developing multidimensional, cross-sectoral solutions. A clear gap exists in the decision support tools and analyses needed to support evidence-based decision-making regarding the water-energy-food nexus in the region. These tools should be adapted to the local context, reflecting the significant diversity of circumstances among countries, including variations in resource availability, technological capabilities, human capacities, and levels of vulnerability.

This study aims to address this gap through the following objectives: to review the interrelationships between water, energy, and food system challenges across the Arab region; to identify the specific geographic, environmental, socio-economic vulnerabilities of the region’s countries; and to identify emerging issues, such as the impacts of climate change, population growth, migration, and conflict, and explore their roles in exacerbating resource pressures and shaping the water-energy-food nexus. The studies recommend developing aligned and evidence-based strategies to enhance the water, energy, and food security nexus in the Arab region.