Water-Energy Nexus of Water and Wastewater Service in Lebanon

Via American University of Beirut, a paper on the watergy nexus of water and wastewater service in Lebanon:

Though well established and understood by practitioners, policy-makers ignore the interrelation between energy and water when developing energy and water policies, known as the water-energy nexus This has led to the rise of complex challenges, especially in Lebanon, due to the fact that policies and strategies in both sectors have often been developed in isolation of each other. This resulted in policy fragmentation that has negatively affected the sustainable development of both sectors.
 
The interdependencies and tradeoffs between water and energy require an integrative approach to policy planning and resource management. This is not possible without a supportive knowledge base, and an understanding of these interlinkages and systems. Lebanon, to date, lacks a comprehensive assessment of energy consumption and efficiency in water and wastewater service provision. Additionally, the policy frameworks and coordination mechanisms in place do not facilitate the development of an integrated and efficient water energy scheme, to alleviate pressures on both sectors. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the links between water and energy within the current Lebanese legal and operational framework, to assess barriers and opportunities for better integrated policies, management strategies, and solutions.
 
The study presented herein aims to address the issues raised above by examining the role of energy, particularly electricity, in Lebanon’s water and wastewater service provision. This includes an investigation and analysis of associated legal, social, environmental, and economic aspects along with existing legal, policy, and institutional frameworks pertaining to the water, wastewater, and energy sectors. The potential of and obstacles to mainstreaming energy efficiency, particularly renewable energy, in the water and wastewater sectors are also addressed along with a quantification of social, environmental, and economic impacts of energy-use and efficiency of both the individual (homeowner) and water establishment. Finally, a national roadmap for improved energy efficiency in the water and wastewater sector is proposed and evidence is provided on the potential deployment of renewable energy in water services.

 

 



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About This Blog And Its Author
As the scarcity of water and energy continues to grow, the linkage between these two critical resources will become more defined and even more acute in the months ahead.  This blog is committed to analyzing and referencing articles, reports, and interviews that can help unlock the nascent, complex and expanding linkages between water and energy -- The Watergy Nexus -- and will endeavor to provide a central clearinghouse for insightful articles and comments for all to consider.

Educated at Yale University (Bachelor of Arts - History) and Harvard (Master in Public Policy - International Development), Monty Simus has held a lifelong interest in environmental and conservation issues, primarily as they relate to freshwater scarcity, renewable energy, and national park policy.  Working from a water-scarce base in Las Vegas with his wife and son, he is the founder of Water Politics, an organization dedicated to the identification and analysis of geopolitical water issues arising from the world’s growing and vast water deficits, and is also a co-founder of SmartMarkets, an eco-preneurial venture that applies web 2.0 technology and online social networking innovations to motivate energy & water conservation.  He previously worked for an independent power producer in Central Asia; co-authored an article appearing in the Summer 2010 issue of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, titled: “The Water Ethic: The Inexorable Birth Of A Certain Alienable Right”; and authored an article appearing in the inaugural issue of Johns Hopkins University's Global Water Magazine in July 2010 titled: “H2Own: The Water Ethic and an Equitable Market for the Exchange of Individual Water Efficiency Credits.”