Integration of Core Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Areas : Current Practices of Water, Energy, Food, Climate Change, and Ecosystems

This book addresses the application of the water, energy and food nexus in the MENA Region. It highlights the technologies and solutions to support the sustainable development of rural areas in the region. The first part provides an introduction and an overview of water, energy food, climate change, and ecosystem interactions within the framework of sustainable development goals. The editors present a brief overview and highlights of the book themes and chapters. The second part discusses current State and Security of the WEF Nexus in the MENA Region, addresses the role of water, energy and food nexus in sustainable development through reviewing case studies in the MENA Region that have followed an integrated nexus approach.  The third part focuses on the integration within the Nexus for Rural Development, includes three chapters. It discusses analysis and assessment of the nexus through a quantitative index approach to consider the efficiency and security of resources; addresses territorial climate planning in water-scarce areas, focusing on the Souss Massa Region in Morocco; and discusses the Algerian food system and future scenarios through the lens of food and water challenges. The fourth part addresses the WEF Nexus and sustainable development solutions and technologies; exploration of an adaptation model for food security and water resources, water-agricultural management practices; standardized hydraulic incident index to analyze hydraulic incidents and their impact on energy; integrated management of natural resources in Egypt through the WEF nexus approach; and ICT tools as a facilitator for collaborative governance of water resources in Mediterranean agriculture. The fifth chapter focuses on sediment management in the context of climate change for the Fertile Crescent and Southwest Asia, and the Nile River. It also addresses haloculture as a climate change adaptation and mitigation solution, that supports food security. Finally, the book presents key updates, conclusions and recommendations from the book chapters. The book is useful to researchers, professionals, practitioners, post-graduates and undergraduates who are interested in the field of sustainable development and water, energy and food interaction.

Dr. Abdelazim Negm is a Professor of Hydraulics (and Water Resources) at the Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt, since 2004. He got his Ph.D. in 1992 from Zagazig University (ZU), and his M.Sc. from Ain shams University in the year 1990. He was the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of ZU from 12/2008 to 12/2011 and was the head of the Environmental Engineering Department at Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), Egypt, from October 2013 to March 2016. He participated in several international projects from 2006 until now and led other international projects. He published more than 400 papers in national and international journals and conferences and contributed to more than 50 book chapters that have been published by Springer Publishing House. Some of his papers were awarded the prize of the best papers. He is the editor of more than 35 Springer books with 12 volumes published in the Springer Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Series (HEC Series). He is a member of the scientific committee of several international conferences and a member of organizing committee of others and participated in more than 90 conferences as well. He delivered several keynote talks at international conferences. Prof. Negm is a reviewer of more than 50 international scientific journals indexed in Scopus and WoS. He was the editor-in-chief of EIJEST during the period of 2017 -2020, an editor of the EMJEI, which is published by Springer, and an associate editor of the Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences and Scientific African Journal, which is published by Elsevier. Also, he is a member of the editorial board of several scientific journals. Moreover, he is a member of the editorial board of the famous Springer Series titled Handbook of Environmental Chemistry since 2019 and the head of the permanent scientific committee on Water Resources (committee no.115), the supreme council of Egyptian Universities, Egypt. Prof. Negmis listed in the most famous and prestigious directories in the world including the American Biographical Institute (ABI), Inc, USA, “Marquis Who's Who in the World,” 27th Ed., 2010, USA, until now and in IBC's 2000 as an Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century by International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England, since 2011 until the present. He was nominated for various awards by both ABI and IBC during the period 2011 -2012.

Dr. Zeina ElZein is an Assistant Professor of Architecture, focusing on interdisciplinary research. She studied integrated urban water management and water governance in her PhD. She provided strategies and policies that can be implemented in Egypt to allow transformation into an integrated urban water management approach. She was awarded an Erasmus+ mobility grant to do her PhD research in Germany, where she became a visiting researcher at the Humboldt University in Berlin and also part of the research team Multifunctional Landscapes at the IRITHESys Institute.

She worked on establishing a new undergraduate program: Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design, at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University. The program includes interdisciplinary courses to equip architects with the knowledge and experience to address global challenges and sustainable development goals.

She is working on the Water, Energy, and Food Nexus, and the built environment in terms of research and applications. She, along with her team, was awarded the best integrated sustainable development scheme for an off-grid community in Egypt by the Center of Excellence for Water in Egypt. Zeina was also a Fulbright Scholar in the Junior Faculty Development Program – Renewable Energy Cohrot at the University of Texas, US. She is currently assigned as UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board Member, and the Co-coordinator of the Water Governance working group in the Water Youth Network. She is also a reviewer of many international journals including Springer Nature. She participated as jury to international funds and competitions.