From scarcity to security: Examining the water energy-food nexus in the West Bank and Gaza within the context of climate change

This report provides a deeper analysis that identifies exogenous vulnerabilities, such as climate change, and their impacts on the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in the West Bank and Gaza. It provides an analysis of the water, agriculture, and energy sectors and identifies potential adaptation responses, institutional measures, and investments anchored in the WEF nexus to improve sustainability and resiliency in the context of increasing uncertainty.

In the absence of a comprehensive political solution there is an urgency to provide pragmatic approaches that can promote resilience to exogenous shocks. Some of the specific measures include the following:

• Invest in no regret measures, such reducing nonrevenue water, increasing reuse of treated wastewater, and improving awareness among consumers to improve efficiency and increase available water supplies.
• Identify and mobilize financial resources within the three sectors sufficient to cover both capital expenditures and operating expenditures, and optimize the programming and alignment of both in support of the WEF nexus.
• Implement complementary institutional reforms that can improve investment planning and the capacity to engage in negotiations that can unlock needed investments, particularly those with mutual benefits.
• Establish a clear framework and move from a sectoral to a more holistic and comprehensive nexus approach. Support this transition with development of a framework for improving policy coherence across the WEF nexus, overseen by a cross-sectoral coordination body responsible for ensuring effective implementation.