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A GIS-Based Approach to Inform Agriculture-Water-Energy Nexus Planning in the North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS)

Author

Listed:
  • Youssef Almulla

    (Department of Energy Technology, KTH The Royal Institute of Technology, Brinellvägen 68, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Camilo Ramirez

    (Department of Energy Technology, KTH The Royal Institute of Technology, Brinellvägen 68, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Konstantinos Pegios

    (Department of Energy Technology, KTH The Royal Institute of Technology, Brinellvägen 68, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Alexandros Korkovelos

    (Department of Energy Technology, KTH The Royal Institute of Technology, Brinellvägen 68, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden
    The World Bank, 1818 H St NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA)

  • Lucia de Strasser

    (The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Bureau S411, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland)

  • Annukka Lipponen

    (The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Bureau S411, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland)

  • Mark Howells

    (Department of Geography, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
    Center for Environmental Policy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, 16-18 Princes Gardens, Knightsbridge, London SW7 1NE, UK)

Abstract

The North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS) is a vital groundwater source in a notably water-scarce region. However, impetuous agricultural expansion and poor resource management (e.g., over-irrigation, inefficient techniques) over the past decades have raised a number of challenges. In this exploratory study, we introduce an open access GIS-based model to help answer selected timely questions related to the agriculture, water and energy nexus in the region. First, the model uses spatial and tabular data to identify the location and extent of irrigated cropland. Then, it employs spatially explicit climatic datasets and mathematical formulation to estimate water and electricity requirements for groundwater irrigation in all identified locations. Finally, it evaluates selected supply options to meet the electricity demand and suggests the least-cost configuration in each location. Results indicate that full irrigation in the basin requires ~3.25 billion million m 3 per year. This translates to ~730 GWh of electricity. Fossil fuels do provide the least-cost electricity supply option due to lower capital and subsidized operating costs. Hence, to improve the competitiveness of renewable technologies (RT) (i.e., solar), a support scheme to drop the capital cost of RTs is critically needed. Finally, moving towards drip irrigation can lead to ~47% of water abstraction savings in the NWSAS area.

Suggested Citation

  • Youssef Almulla & Camilo Ramirez & Konstantinos Pegios & Alexandros Korkovelos & Lucia de Strasser & Annukka Lipponen & Mark Howells, 2020. "A GIS-Based Approach to Inform Agriculture-Water-Energy Nexus Planning in the North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:7043-:d:405813
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexandros Korkovelos & Babak Khavari & Andreas Sahlberg & Mark Howells & Christopher Arderne, 2019. "The Role of Open Access Data in Geospatial Electrification Planning and the Achievement of SDG7. An OnSSET-Based Case Study for Malawi," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-36, April.
    2. Howells, Mark & Rogner, Holger & Strachan, Neil & Heaps, Charles & Huntington, Hillard & Kypreos, Socrates & Hughes, Alison & Silveira, Semida & DeCarolis, Joe & Bazillian, Morgan & Roehrl, Alexander, 2011. "OSeMOSYS: The Open Source Energy Modeling System: An introduction to its ethos, structure and development," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 5850-5870, October.
    3. Bakhtiar Feizizadeh & Thomas Blaschke, 2013. "GIS-multicriteria decision analysis for landslide susceptibility mapping: comparing three methods for the Urmia lake basin, Iran," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 65(3), pages 2105-2128, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Venkatesh Baskaran & Velkennedy R, 2022. "A systematic review on the role of geographical information systems in monitoring and achieving sustainable development goal 6: Clean water and sanitation," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1417-1425, October.
    2. Wang, Xue-Chao & Jiang, Peng & Yang, Lan & Fan, Yee Van & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Wang, Yutao, 2021. "Extended water-energy nexus contribution to environmentally-related sustainable development goals," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Ange-Lionel Toba & Liam Boire & Timothy McJunkin, 2021. "Integrated Water-Power System Resilience Analysis in a Southeastern Idaho Irrigation District: Minidoka Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, September.

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