Water resource decoupling in the MENA through food trade as a mechanism for circumventing national water scarcity
Date
2015-11-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This paper combines Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Balance data with Water Footprint data to reveal how virtual water flows interact with food import tonnages to enhance or retard national decoupling based on food trade. Decoupling theorises breaking the links between economic and population growth and water demands for domestic food production. The detailed analysis applies a resource decoupling model in relation to the role and potential of food and virtual water trade in alleviating national and regional water limits in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The contrast between Egypt’s political denial of dependence, and Israel’s strategic adoption of food imports provides an example.
Description
item.page.type
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
item.page.format
Keywords
WATER SCARCITY, WATER MANAGEMENT, FOOD IMPORTS, FOOD PRODUCTION, FOOD SECURITY, DECOUPLING OF WATER RESOURCES, ALGERIA, EGYPT, JORDAN, ISRAEL, KUWAIT, LEBANON, LIBYA, MOROCCO, SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA, YEMEN, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, NORTH OF SAHARA