Water-Energy-Food nexus in Algeria; Ain Temouchent case study

Given the complexity of the interactions between water, energy, and food, any alteration to one sector can have impacts on the other sectors of the system.(Sušnik et al., 2018).Scientists are increasingly recognizing the need for an integrative approach to planning and managing resources. Hoff explained that several factors have influenced the demand for water, energy, and food, and listed the following; population growth, sustainable development, climate change, degradation, and scarcity of resources.(Hoff & Ulrich, 2017)

Algeria is ranked 1st among the Arab countries which have exceeded two-thirds of the way to achieving the SDGs (Dahan et al., 2019.), but according to Hoff (Hoff & Ulrich, 2017), the countries in the MENA region have not made remarkable progress in adopting the nexus approach due to several constraints such as lack of experience and insufficient management planning. ((Hoff & Ulrich, 2017).  As part of establishing the nexus approach in Algeria, we have selected the region of Ain Temouchent as a case study known for its agricultural vocation.

Ain Temouchent is located on located in the northwestern of Algeria, 520 km from the capital Algiers, and a hundred kilometers from the border Moroccan. And limited: to the North, by the Mediterranean Sea, to the South West, by Tlemcen, to the South East, Sidi Bel Abbes, and, to the east, by Oran. The region area is about 2,376 km² with a façade sea of 84 km and the population is over 406,000. The agricultural sector represents 15.22%, and the construction sector employs 14.19% of the employed population. The region of Ain-Temouchent is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with a hot summer and a temperate winter. The intensification of agricultural production in this region has led to the overexploitation of groundwater resources, and the establishment of a combined cycle thermal power station has accentuated its path towards a more considerable development, following its satisfaction in electrical energy. The establishment of a reverse osmosis desalination plant (Benisaf Water Company) with a production capacity of 200,000m³/day significantly alleviated the crisis situation, but its energy consumption and environmental impact raise several questions

Considering all these segments, one of the objectives of the study is to determine the key links between segments of the Nexus and understand the dynamics between them using System Dynamics Modeling. ((Aliyev et al., 2019))

This work aims to determine the links between water, food, and energy and to analyze the dynamics between them, also to propose solutions and recommendations for developing effective policies for the region.