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Dynamic Behaviour of the Water–Food–Energy Nexus: Focus on Crop Production and Consumption
Author(s) -
El Gafy Inas,
Grigg Neil,
Reagan Waskom
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
irrigation and drainage
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1531-0361
pISSN - 1531-0353
DOI - 10.1002/ird.2060
Subject(s) - nexus (standard) , crop production , production (economics) , virtual water , agriculture , food energy , agricultural science , water consumption , welfare economics , natural resource economics , economics , geography , environmental science , environmental engineering , engineering , water scarcity , microeconomics , biochemistry , chemistry , archaeology , embedded system
Water, energy, and food are interrelated and critical resources for human well‐being and environmental goals. Single‐sector national strategies that focus on individual sectors of the nexus without considering their interconnections may lead to acute unanticipated consequences. In the present study, the system dynamic model platform was used to create a new approach to analysis of dynamic behaviour, focusing on joint water–energy–food interactions stemming from crop production and consumption at the national level under different scenarios and alternatives. The developed system determines: (i) water and energy footprints of crop production and consumption; (ii) virtual water and energy import and export; (iii) the national water and energy saving balance due to trade of agricultural commodities; and (iv) a water–food–energy nexus index. A case study from Egypt was used to test the system and illustrate some of its significance. The research illustrates the importance of considering the water–food–energy nexus when developing national strategies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.