Development of Decentralisation Models for De-Risking Strategies in the Energy, Water and Food Nexus : A Pathway for National Food Security and Resilience in the State of Qatar

Human activities are placing significant stressor on natural resources and associated systems, with industries heavily reliant on water, energy, and food resources for their operations and economic activities. This reliance contributes to environmental degradation and resource depletion. Consequently, the study of what is known as the energy, water and food (EWF) nexus leverages the interconnectedness of these resources to enhance resource management, resilience, and environmental consciousness. While the EWF nexus framework offers insights into decision-making within resource sub-systems, it alone cannot address today's complex resource challenges. Global food insecurity, fueled by factors such as resource mismanagement, underscores the need for innovative solutions. Thus, there is a need for implementing efficient and resilient resource management systems based on an optimisation framework that considers various aspects of sustainable development in achieving the EWF resource security. This especially significant for the State of Qatar, with its highly arid climate and inconsistent distribution of resources; whilst it is rich in energy resources, it suffers from water scarcity, environmental and food security challenges. Moreover, Qatar is now looking at extensively developing its agricultural capacity despite the risk of climate and resource stress impacts.

This PhD dissertation explores the potential of the EWF nexus approach, complemented by diverse modeling and analytical tools, to understand and mitigate food insecurity in volatile and risky environments. It aims to develop a framework bridging the knowledge gap by creating a unified geospatial databank “known as nexus Atlas” that will support running different EWF studies through incorporating optimisation procedures into the risk assessment framework. This approach will be designed to offer decision and policy makers valuable insights for informed spatial planning and allocation of resources and industries within the State of Qatar, with a specific focus on the Energy-Water-Food (EWF) nexus. Besides that, an interactive map interface for Qatar were developed to explore and understand the spatial relationships among the various factors encompassed within the extensive geospatial databank providing stakeholders and decision-makers with an intuitive platform to visualize and analyze the integrated data. The inclusion of the EWF nexus Atlas marks a noteworthy advancement, providing a dynamic tool to navigate the interconnected complexities of energy, water, and food systems. Ultimately, the integrated approach will contribute to the sustainable and resilient development of the region while ensuring the efficient utilisation of its resources.