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Recent Submissions
- Value chain selection toolDate: 2026-02-24Type: ToolStatus: Open accessThe Value Chain Selection Tool, developed under the project Supporting the Implementation of the Regional Water Scarcity Initiative in the Near East and North Africa Region, guides strategic crop prioritization in water-scarce contexts. It is based on a multi-criteria assessment framework that integrates economic performance, water productivity, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, as well as infrastructural and institutional criteria. The tool emphasizes efficient water use, climate resilience, soil health, and long-term ecosystem sustainability. It also takes into account market demand, export potential, profitability and competitiveness, as well as access to technology and infrastructure. Social dimensions, such as job creation and the inclusion of smallholders, women, youth, and vulnerable groups, ensure equitable rural development. Through a comparative analysis of different crops, the tool helps policymakers, development partners, and private sector actors identify value chains that maximize yields while minimizing environmental impact. It strengthens investment planning, promotes responsible resource management, and aligns agricultural transformation with the objectives of the Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity. In doing so, it contributes to building resilient, inclusive, and water-efficient agri-food systems in the NENA region.
- Outil de sélection des chaînes de valeurDate: 2026-02-24Type: ToolStatus: Open accessL’Outil de sélection des chaînes de valeur, développé dans le cadre du projet Soutenir la mise en œuvre de l’Initiative régionale sur la rareté de l’eau dans la région du Proche-Orient et de l’Afrique du Nord (PENA), permet de prioriser stratégiquement les cultures dans des contextes de rareté en eau. Il s’appuie sur un cadre d’évaluation multicritères intégrant la performance économique, la productivité de l’eau, la durabilité environnementale, l’inclusion sociale ainsi que les critères infrastructurels et institutionnels. L’outil met l’accent sur l’utilisation efficace de l’eau, la résilience climatique, la santé des sols et la durabilité des écosystèmes à long terme. Il prend également en compte la demande du marché, le potentiel d’exportation, la rentabilité et la compétitivité, ainsi que l’accès à la technologie et aux infrastructures. Les dimensions sociales, telles que la création d’emplois et l’inclusion des petits exploitants, des femmes, des jeunes et des groupes vulnérables, assurent un développement rural équitable. Grâce à une analyse comparative entre différentes cultures, l’outil aide les décideurs politiques, les partenaires au développement et les acteurs du secteur privé à identifier les chaînes de valeur qui maximisent les rendements tout en minimisant l’impact environnemental. Il renforce la planification des investissements, favorise une gestion responsable des ressources et aligne la transformation agricole sur les objectifs de l’Initiative régionale sur la rareté de l’eau. Ainsi, il contribue à bâtir des systèmes agroalimentaires résilients, inclusifs et économes en eau dans la région PENA.
- A tool for optimizing the water, energy, food and ecosystem service nexus amidst diverse stakeholder interestsAuthor(s): Verbist, Joren; Yigezu, Yigezu; Akramkhanov, Akmal (Taylor and Francis Group)Date: 2026-03-03Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Open accessClimate change and population growth are intensifying pressures on agricultural resources, underscoring the need to optimize the water–energy–food–ecosystem (WEFE) nexus. This study applies the Stakeholder WEFE efficiency evaluation tool (SWEET) in Uzbekistan through key informant interviews with representatives from governmental departments managing water, energy, food and environmental sectors. Results reveal divergence and convergence of priorities across departments and sectors, respectively around soil cover, fuel consumption and food crop production. Non-food crops were however consistently deprioritized. SWEET supports the identification of shared priorities and potentially conflicting interests, thereby helping prevent rebound effects and building coherent WEFE governance.
- Malnutrition and violent conflict in a heating world: A mediation analysis on the climate–conflict nexus in Nigeria Get access ArrowAuthor(s): Belli, Anna; Villa, Victor; Mastrorillo, Marina; Scognamillo, Antonio; Song, Chun; Ignaciuk, Adriana; Pacillo, Grazia (Oxford University Press (OUP), 2025-11-12)Date: 2025-05-12Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Timeless limited accessClimate variability is increasingly gaining recognition as a factor exacerbating risks to peace in Africa, particularly in contexts characterized by weak institutions and fragile agri-food systems. Existing literature has highlighted the intricate indirect pathways that can lead to increasing conflicts following a climatic shock, including reduced agricultural yields, increased food insecurity, and other socio-economic channels that are highly context-specific as well as difficult to quantify. This study investigates the nexus between climate variability (proxied by temperature anomalies) and violent conflicts as mediated by child acute malnutrition in Nigeria. Starting from previous quantitative analyses that implicitly assumed the existence of a singular transmission pathway linking climate variability to conflict, this study employs a structural equation model that accommodates the presence of multiple, albeit unobserved, mediating factors. In doing so, it pioneers the use of children’s nutritional indicators as mediating factors to capture the multidimensional nature of the climate–conflict relationship. The novel approach proposed for this analysis increases the accuracy of estimating the indirect impacts of climate variability on conflict, as mediated by child nutritional outcomes, and contributes to the literature linked to the humanitarian, development and peace nexus. From a policy perspective, our findings aim to inform and support identifying policies and interventions aimed at mitigating the threat posed by climate variability to human security through the nutrition channel.
- Adjusted Crop Coefficient for Wheat Using Energy Balance Systems in North Nile Delta of EgyptAuthor(s): Saffan, M.Mohye; Belal, Abdelaziz; Omar, Mohie; Mosaad, Alaa (The National Information and Documentation Centre (NIDOC) affiliated to Academy of Scientific Research and Technology(ASRT), 2025-06-22)Date: 2025-06-22Type: Journal ArticleStatus: Open accessAccurate crop coefficient (Kc) is essential for optimizing irrigation water use as well as enlargement water productivity in agriculture. This study aims to update the Kc values for wheat in the North Nile Delta, Egypt, using an energy balance (EB) system powered by Campbell Scientific instrumentations. Field experiments were conducted during three consecutive wheat-growing seasons of 2022/23,2023/24 and 2024/25 at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, covering an area of 4.2 hectares. Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) was measured using energy balance techniques, and Kc values were derived by comparing ETa with reference evapotranspiration (ETo) from FAO Penman Monteith approach. Results showed that FAO-56 Kc values tend to underestimate Kc during the initial (ini) and late-season (end) growth stages, while slightly overestimating mid-season Kc. The obtained Kc values for wheat were: 0.43–0.68 (Kc ini), 0.75–1.02 (Kc dev), 0.94–1.11 (Kc mid), and 0.4–0.64 (Kc end), differing from FAO-56 values. The findings suggest that local calibration of Kc is necessary for precise irrigation scheduling, enhancement water management efficiency, and consequently sustainable wheat production under water-scarce conditions.