200
S. Namany and T. Al-Ansari
3.4 Energy, Water and Food
Adopting a holistic resource management perspective, the EWF nexus literature
encompasses a wide range of studies that have expanded system boundaries to
encompass more than two resource sectors. With an aim to include all the interlinkages intrinsically relating the three systems in the assessment of the EWF nexus,
Al-Ansari et al. developed a modularised EWF nexus framework that decomposes the
resources sectors into a sequence of simple sub-systems enabling the characterisation
of synergies and divergences amongst sectors. The proposed approach assesses the
environmental performance of a food security case through investigating multiple
energy, water, and food configurations. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is applied to quantify the environmental performance for each scenario that
meets the desired food self-sufficiency level. The work also investigated, as part
of the scenario’s analyses, the implementation of advanced and environmental efficient energy and water technologies that contribute to the reduction of the carbon
and water footprints. In this regard, reverse osmosis-based desalination was considered as an alternative water source to the conventional groundwater abstraction. As
for the energy system, alternative configurations include photovoltaics and neutral
and negative biomass power plants in the form of biomass-based integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) and bio-energy with carbon capture and storage
(BECCS). Considering the food sector, CO 2 fertilisation was examined as an option
illustrating the energy to food interaction [13, 52, 53]. These studies were followed
by a techno-economic analysis investigating the performance of the proposed EWF
nexus configurations developed by Govindan et al. [54]. With emphasis on the interactions between resource sectors, Namany et al. adopted a game theoretic approach
to allocate resources optimally between the EWF nexus systems as an expansion of
the work conducted by Al-Ansari et al. [50]. In addition to the process and operational
level-related studies, holistic EWF nexus literature is comprised of a diversified pool
of case studies that have expanded the scope of analysis to include policy implications and social behaviours on the overall performance of the EWF nexus systems.
For instance, Bieber et al. developed an integrated approach based on an Agent-based
modelling (ABM) combined with a scenario-based optimisation that considers the
influence of human and socio-economic habits on the demand on water and energy.
The tailored methodology investigates the opportunity of implementing a power
generation plant instead of a food production system. Economic and environmental
efficiency are the two objectives desired in this model considering the operating costs
and initial investments for power generation, along with the food forgone opportunity cost [55]. In terms of the challenges faced by the resources sectors as discussed
previously, policy-makers and external entities can have a significant influence on
the operations of the EWF nexus systems. In this regard, Mercure et al. emphasised
the importance of considering policies and legislation in the assessment of the EWF
sectors. Governance discrepancies along with social and economic variations were
found to be the main stressors challenging the management of the nexus. The study
S. Namany and T. Al-Ansari
3.4 Energy, Water and Food
Adopting a holistic resource management perspective, the EWF nexus literature
encompasses a wide range of studies that have expanded system boundaries to
encompass more than two resource sectors. With an aim to include all the interlinkages intrinsically relating the three systems in the assessment of the EWF nexus,
Al-Ansari et al. developed a modularised EWF nexus framework that decomposes the
resources sectors into a sequence of simple sub-systems enabling the characterisation
of synergies and divergences amongst sectors. The proposed approach assesses the
environmental performance of a food security case through investigating multiple
energy, water, and food configurations. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is applied to quantify the environmental performance for each scenario that
meets the desired food self-sufficiency level. The work also investigated, as part
of the scenario’s analyses, the implementation of advanced and environmental efficient energy and water technologies that contribute to the reduction of the carbon
and water footprints. In this regard, reverse osmosis-based desalination was considered as an alternative water source to the conventional groundwater abstraction. As
for the energy system, alternative configurations include photovoltaics and neutral
and negative biomass power plants in the form of biomass-based integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) and bio-energy with carbon capture and storage
(BECCS). Considering the food sector, CO 2 fertilisation was examined as an option
illustrating the energy to food interaction [13, 52, 53]. These studies were followed
by a techno-economic analysis investigating the performance of the proposed EWF
nexus configurations developed by Govindan et al. [54]. With emphasis on the interactions between resource sectors, Namany et al. adopted a game theoretic approach
to allocate resources optimally between the EWF nexus systems as an expansion of
the work conducted by Al-Ansari et al. [50]. In addition to the process and operational
level-related studies, holistic EWF nexus literature is comprised of a diversified pool
of case studies that have expanded the scope of analysis to include policy implications and social behaviours on the overall performance of the EWF nexus systems.
For instance, Bieber et al. developed an integrated approach based on an Agent-based
modelling (ABM) combined with a scenario-based optimisation that considers the
influence of human and socio-economic habits on the demand on water and energy.
The tailored methodology investigates the opportunity of implementing a power
generation plant instead of a food production system. Economic and environmental
efficiency are the two objectives desired in this model considering the operating costs
and initial investments for power generation, along with the food forgone opportunity cost [55]. In terms of the challenges faced by the resources sectors as discussed
previously, policy-makers and external entities can have a significant influence on
the operations of the EWF nexus systems. In this regard, Mercure et al. emphasised
the importance of considering policies and legislation in the assessment of the EWF
sectors. Governance discrepancies along with social and economic variations were
found to be the main stressors challenging the management of the nexus. The study