MENA
The Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) stretches over 6,000 km from Morocco in the West to Iran in the East. Despite significant sub-regional differences, the entire area is facing similar challenges. The MENA countries are coping with an increasing water deficit, while striving to achieve a self-sustaining agriculture. The region only contains 1.4% of the world’s freshwater resources, making it one of the world’s most water-scarce regions.
This water scarcity and recent economic instability has left its population even more vulnerable to food insecurity.
Energy production in the region still strongly relies on fossil fuels, even though there is a high potential for renewable energies and 30 million people in the Arab region still remain without access to electricity. In addition, the countries are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Fulfilling MENA’s high demands requires an understanding of the synergies, conflicts and compensations that connect water, energy and food with ecosystems.
Among the different intersectoral WEF Nexus, holistic solutions propsosed are:
• solar-powered irrigation systems
• solar desalination
• solar energy for waste-water treatment and reuse
• investments in biofuels and offshore agricultural to ensure food security and preserve scarce water resources.
There is a growing recognition in the region to adopt the Nexus approach, fostered by several single- and multi-state ministries and institutions.
Recent News
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Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme // Newsletter issue No. 12, June 2022
The latest Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme Newsletter is filled with insightful updates on promoting the WEF Nexus and its institutionalization.…
Nexus Regional Dialogue MENA // Launching the Nexus Farms Initiative in Egypt – How to secure food supply and rural livelihoods in the context of climate change
Thursday, the 16th of June 2022 marked the beginning of the Nexus Farm Initiative, which is implemented by our partners at Gebal Egypt and Dendara…
Call for tenders // Innovative analyses on Agri-Solar business models in the MENA region and Niger Basin
RES4Africa opens tender for innovative analyses on Agri-Solar business models in the MENA region and Niger Basin. RES4Africa's Project aims at…
Recent Resources
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Research Article // SD-DSS model of sustainable groundwater resources management using the water-food-energy security Nexus in Alborz Province
By Mehdi Rahmani, Seyed Habib Musavi Jahromi and Hossein Hassanpour Darvishi. This study conducted dynamic modelling of sustainable ground water…
Research Article // Examining Lebanon's Resilience Through a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Lens
By Bassel Daher, Silva Hamie, Konstantinos Pappas and Julie Roth. This study concludes that considering the case of Lebanon through a…
Research Article // Unravelling hidden factors explaining competition for and overuse of groundwater in Azraq, Jordan: digging deeper into a network of action situations
By Daniel Oberhauser, Ramona Hägele and Ines Dombrowsky. In Azraq in Eastern Jordan, farmers, domestic users, and a wetland ecosystem compete for and…