event 18 Oct 2022

Research Article // Challenges to Iraq’s Environment: Applying the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Framework

By Bassam Yousif and colleagues. This paper utilises research on Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus to study the relationships between Iraq’s water (requirement and supply), energy (the oil and gas sector), and food production by surveying environmental conditions and using various data sources. Based on the research, the paper then offers policy recommendations.

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Figure 4: The Pardee RAND Food-Energy-Water Index and Sub-indices for Iraq (Source: Pardee RAND Food-Energy-Water (2016).

Abstract

This paper utilizes research on Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus to study the relationships between Iraq’s water (requirement and supply), energy (the oil and gas sector), and food production. We survey environmental conditions and note that the quality and availability of water have declined over the last decades, which have posed threats to public health, environmental sustainability, and food security. We next use a variety of data sources to study the interlinkages between these three sectors, including water-energy-food indexes, and explore the state of the agriculture and oil sectors. We point out that water is a key input into both agricultural production and oil extraction, mediating the energy and food sectors and acting to constrain and make rival food and energy outputs. We offer policy recommendations classified into those that seek to overcome internal barriers and others geared towards external constraints.

Published

August 2022

By

Economic Research Forum - Working Paper Series

Citation

Bassam Yousif & Omar El-Joumayle & Jehan Baban, 2022. "Challenges to Iraq’s Environment: Applying the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Framework," Working Papers 1564, Economic Research Forum, revised 20 Aug 2022.

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Challenges to Iraq’s Environment: Applying the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Framework

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