Evaluation of Technology Change Effects on Quantitative Assessment of Water, Energy and Food Nexus

Abstract

The quantitative assessment framework of the water, energy and food (WEF) nexus proposed by [1] permits the analysis of the WEF as an interconnected system of resources that directly and indirectly affect one another. The model performs simulation of policy options and scenarios that respond to quantitative variations of the use of WEF resources. One of the key outcomes of the mathematical formulation of the model is the WEF nexus intersectoral technology matrix. In order to take advantages and analyzing policy options of adopting high efficient intersectoral use technologies, WEF intersectoral use intensities and intersectoral allocation coefficients are introduced to the technology matrix of the nexus model proposed in [1]. The developed method is then applied to evaluate the WEF nexus case study of Lebanon. Lastly, the conclusions and further developments are presented.

Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Coupled Simulation and Optimization Framework

“…The Q-Nexus Model is built on the input-output theory and is being able to evaluate quantitatively both the direct and indirect intersectoral WEF quantities [1] [16]. The structure of the Q-Nexus Model is based on the quantitative balance of the WEF total quantities through two main conceptual elements: i) the intersectoral use quantities (Z) and ii) the end use quantities (y) which cover households, government and the rest of the economy demands, losses, accumulation and exports.…”

“…The Q-Nexus Model as a WEF nexus simulator has already been used to influence policy and planning [1] [16]. However, its use within a flexible optimization framework where model inputs can instead become decision variables and model outputs can be used in mathematical representations of resource management goals, has not yet been tested.…”