Maryam Haji

Bio: Maryam Haji is an academic researcher from Khalifa University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nexus (standard) & Arid. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 2 publications receiving 12 citations.

Optimising the energy, water and food nexus node to support decision making for sustainable food security in Risky Environments

Abstract: As the population continues to rise, the need for energy, water and food (EWF) resources are increasing in parallel. Accordingly, the EWF nexus has received considerable attention in previous years as a means to manage resources given the inherent interlinkages between them. The objective of this study is to expand on geospatial nexus approaches to support decision-making for EWF resources in non-resilience environments. A simple linear optimization model is applied to a geospatial representation of decentralised EWF systems to enhance the EWF nexus node approach and analysis of resilience. The methodology is applied to hydroponic greenhouses in Qatar, where the water is the core factor that affects the overall efficiency and AHP risk level. Thus, the optimization model introduces a new EWF node that operates at minimum cost whilst reducing the AHP risk level of existing EWF nodes. The objective function of the optimisation model accounts for three cost components; the cost of groundwater transportation, pumping and desalination, that is subjected to certain constraints; one constraint is suggested for the new EWF node to select a low risk area, hence ensuring low operating costs; three constraints assigned to identify a location for the new EWF node that will minimise risks of the three existing nodes, hence, reducing high AHP value of three farms; and the last constraint used to select one node only at an optimal location. The result demonstrates that with the allocation of a new EWF nexus node at an optimal location to be the main source of water supply, the risk level for all three existing nodes will reduce tremendously.

A review of carbon capture and utilisation as a CO2 abatement opportunity within the EWF nexus

Abstract: Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) is considered an important CO2 mitigation strategy to support and compliment carbon capture and storage (CCS) objectives for the abatement and sequestration of CO2. It represents various pathways that utilise CO2 as a feedstock in process systems or otherwise for the generation of value-added commodities. The CO2 used can be captured from different sources including power plants and industrial activities via several existing carbon capture and separation technologies that ensure a pure and safe CO2 supply. CCU pathways are mainly divided into five wide-ranging categories: CO2 conversion to chemicals and fuels, mineral carbonation, enhanced oil recovery, biological conversion, and direct CO2 utilisation. This study reviews the main CCU pathways and highlights their intra-sectoral and inter-sectoral opportunities within the energy water and food (EWF) systems, which is an important resource management concept. It also discusses the global status of CCU operational projects, research and development efforts directed toward CCU deployment, and important decision-making directions when integrating CCU with the EWF nexus. This review highlights that CCU pathways provide several cross-sectoral opportunities within the EWF sectors, by allaying resource competition between sectors and proposing co/tri-integrated solutions for securing EWF resources. Future efforts in this regard should be directed towards studying the EWF nexus within CCU routes in a comprehensive, quantitative, and holistic approach to identify and measure all trade-offs and synergies within EWF sectors, and to optimise CCU supply chains.

A Methodological Integrated Approach to Analyse Climate Change Effects in Agri-Food Sector: The TIMES Water-Energy-Food Module.

Abstract: The European Union's 2030 climate and energy policy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underline the commitment to mitigate climate change and reduce its impacts by supporting sustainable use of resources. This commitment has become stricter in light of the ambitious climate neutrality target set by the European Green Deal for 2050. Water, Energy and Food are the key variables of the "Nexus Thinking" which face the sustainability challenge with a multi-sectoral approach. The aim of the paper is to show the methodological path toward the implementation of an integrated modeling platform based on the Nexus approach and consolidated energy system analysis methods to represent the agri-food system in a circular economy perspective (from the use of water, energy, biomass, and land to food production). The final aim is to support decision-making connected to climate change mitigation. The IEA-The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System (TIMES) model generator was used to build up the Basilicata Water, Energy and Food model (TIMES-WEF model), which allows users a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of climate change on the Basilicata agri-food system in terms of land use, yields and water availability and a critical comparison of these indicators in different scenarios. The paper focuses on the construction of the model's Reference Energy and Material System of the TIMES model, which integrates water and agricultural commodities into the energy framework, and on the results obtained through the calibration of the model β version to statistical data on agricultural activities.