Water-food-energy nexus : a multi-criteria decision evaluation of policy instruments in the Litany River basin -

Abstract

In order to investigate the decision making process currently taking place inside a Water-Energy-Food Nexus framework, a study was carried to evaluate policy instrument on the Litany River Basin. The MCDA method has been proposed in order to combine qualitative and quantitative data. This is particularly important in a developing country context where data availability is a major concern. Eleven policy instruments concerning the agriculture sector were ranked in order of importance under five sensitivity analysis evaluations. The first sensitivity analysis puts forward the Cost criteria and the CDR WWTPs were ranked first. The second puts forward the Energy criteria and modern irrigation techniques were ranked first. The third puts forward the Water criteria under which again the WWTPs were ranked first. When the Food criteria were amplified the Water storage option was ranked first. And finally, when the Social criteria were amplified the modern irrigation techniques were also ranked first. The proposed Nexus framework proved to be valuable for decision makers, it offers a system thinking approach where the WEF nexus resources are interconnected. The tool proves to be most valuable if centralised planning agency is created, where decisions about policy implementations take into consideration institutional dialogue, resources tradeoffs and synergies and social and security concerns.