Introduction

Quantitative analysis of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus remains a challenge due to limited understanding of the complex inter- and intra-linkages within its four domains. Water, being central to the nexus, significantly influences overall security; however, the intricate hydrological processes, the impacts of climate change, and the interplay of sectoral water demand and consumption patterns require more comprehensive investigation. To address this gap, WatNEX was developed, leveraging water accounting data to assess and balance sectoral resource use and demands across water, energy, food, and ecosystem over time and at multiple scales.

Architecture

WatNEX rests on an advanced, macro-enabled Excel interface, programmed in VBA. It uses the Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) software tool as its computational engine. WEAP has previously been widely applied in Water Accounting and Nexus studies and meets the basic user requirements such as easy scenario analyses, flexibility in terms of scale, and quantitative outputs. As part of WatNEX development, a WEFE plugin has been created which incorporates the basic principles of WEFE analysis into the WEAP framework, including a set of newly introduced WEFE-related variables.

By linking WEAP to an Excel-based WatNEX dashboard, the threshold in terms of technical capacity for using the model is significantly reduced. Average users can make use of the Excel interface for performing Water Accounting and WEFE Nexus analyses based on WEAP results with WatNEX. Users can build or link existing WEAP models (following the WatNEX model set-up requirements) to analyse results in WatNEX.

Screenshot of the NEXUS balances tab within WatNEX.

Applications

WatNEX has been developed as a robust, modular, and user-friendly tool that integrates water, energy, food, and ecosystem components. WatNEX allows users to:

  • Analyse the status and trends of water resources, infrastructure, and water use
  • Identify effective water management options
  • Assess impacts of field-level agricultural interventions in the context of water basins
  • Analyse the performance of irrigated agriculture and the allocation of water among users in a basin
  • Estimate the supply-demand gap
  • Improve communication between all stakeholders (requires a standard description)

Download WatNEX

WatNEX is accessible after completing the short form below. You will then receive a download link to the tool by email.

Related projects

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