To What End? // Drip Irrigation and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Morocco
By Guy Jobbins, Jack Kalpakian, Abdelouahid Chriyaa, Ahmed Legrouri and El Houssine El Mzouri. This article draws on three case studies of drip irrigation adoption in Morocco to consider the water–energy–food nexus concept from a bottom-up perspective. Findings indicate that small farmers' adoption of drip irrigation is conditional, that water and energy efficiency does not necessarily reduce overall consumption, and that adoption of drip irrigation (and policies supporting it) can create winners and losers. The article concludes that, although the water-energy-food WEF nexus concept may offer useful insights, its use in policy formulation should be tempered with caution. Technical options that appear beneficial at the conceptual level can have unintended consequences in practice, and policies focused on issues of scarcity and efficiency may exacerbate other dimensions of poverty and inequality.
Download
Published
April 2015
In
International Journal of Water Resources Development, Volume 31, 2015 - Issue 3: Special Issue: The Water-Food-Energy-Climate nexus in Global Drylands