A Complex Systems Analysis of the Water-Energy Nexus in Malaysia

Water security plays a crucial role in maintaining livelihoods, especially emerging economies. In Malaysia, understanding the inter-relationships of water within the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is at its infancy. This paper investigates the interactions of the water sector with energy sector in Malaysia, through the lenses of WEF nexus, using system dynamics. The first part of the research involves qualitative interviews with key stakeholders in the water sectors, which provides validation for the initial causal loop relationships built and qualitative inputs of the water-energy nexus through the lenses of the water sector. The second part of the research is a quantitative simulation of stock and flow based on four carefully designed scenarios revolving around Malaysian water security. Key findings include an apparent disconnect between the states and federal governments in managing water supply, poor economic sustainability of the water supply and services industry, and significant energy use in the water sector. On the other hand, environmental impacts stemming from the water sector is minimal. Streamlining water governance and revising water tariffs have thus been suggested as policy recommendations, where their implementation could propagate into downstream benefits for the energy sector.

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The connection between water and energy in cities: a review

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2011.070 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 63 (9) ◽

pp. 1983-1990 ◽

Cited By ~ 104

Author(s):

S. J. Kenway ◽

P. A. Lant ◽

A. Priestley ◽

P. Daniels

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Energy Use ◽

Water Security ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Economic Security ◽

Knowledge Gaps ◽

Water Supplies ◽

Australian Context ◽

Water Energy Nexus ◽

Wide Range

We have only rudimentary understanding of the complex and pervasive connections between water and energy in cities. As water security now threatens energy and economic security, this is a major omission. Understanding the water-energy nexus is necessary if we want to contribute to solving water and energy issues simultaneously; if we want to stop moving problems from one resource dimension to another. This is particularly relevant in the Australian context where energy use for water supplies is forecast to rapidly escalate, growing around 300% from 2007 levels, by 2030. This paper presents a literature review with an aim of characterising the research to date with a particular focus on cities, the major centres of consumption and growth. It systematically analyses a wide range of papers and summarises the diverse objectives, dimensions, and scale of the research to-date together with knowledge gaps. There are many major gaps. These include energy use associated with water in industrial and commercial operations as well as socio-political perspectives. A major gap is the lack of a unifying theoretical framework and consistent methodology for analysis. This is considered a prerequisite for quantitative trans-city comparisons.

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The African Water Vision 2025: its influence on water governance in the development of Africa's water sector, with an emphasis on rural communities in Kenya: a review

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2021.032 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kristin Mutschinski ◽

Neil A. Coles

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Water Supply ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Good Governance ◽

Water Governance ◽

International Standards ◽

Government Policies ◽

Water Sector ◽

Quality Of Water

Abstract Reliable and secure water resources for rural communities in Africa continue to be at the forefront of the challenges facing these communities in the last 20 years, particularly for smallholders, agricultural sector productivity, food security and economic development increasingly exacerbated by climate change and rapidly growing urban populations. Addressing these challenges requires well-structured policy in the water sector, to implement commitments and investments effectively, and ultimately ensure the quantity and quality of water supply. The AWV 2025 for Africa was commissioned by the World Water Council in 2000 to create a framework to target these aspects in Africa. We examine the progress towards achieving this vision after two decades, through the initiatives, government policies and water strategies that have been implemented. We take a closer look at the top-down impact of the AWV 2025 in the national context of Kenya and its rural population. While the water sector has evolved since 2000, it remains difficult to meet international standards, both at the continental level and in Kenya. This requires continued efforts to strengthen good governance in the water sector, address the financial challenges associated with the expansion of the infrastructure, and developing decentralized approaches to water supply provision.

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Water Energy Nexus as Manifested in Desalination based Water Sector: the case of Israel

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-4698 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elad Salomons ◽

Mashor Housh

Keyword(s):

Power Consumption ◽

Water Supply ◽

Management Strategies ◽

National Level ◽

Total Power ◽

Water Sector ◽

Joint Management ◽

Water Energy Nexus ◽

Total Power Consumption ◽

National Water

The Israeli water sector is heavily relying on desalinated seawater. Currently, about 80% of the domestic drinking water is supplied from five Desalination Plants (DPs), which produce up to 600 MCM/year. Each plant has a long-term BOT agreement with the Israeli government to supply a specific amount ranging between 100-150 MCM/year within a prespecified monthly and daily limits. The price is fixed (an average of 0.7 $/CM), but deviation from the aforementioned limits incur penalties. &#160;The total power consumption of the DPs is estimated as 300MW at peak production. As such, the DPs are part of the largest energy consumers in the country. The Israeli Electricity Authority (IEA) utilizes several Electricity Load Shedding Programs (ELSPs) for large consumers. Specifically, in the "Voluntary" ELSPs, large consumers are requested, usually with a short notice, to shed their power consumption during energy shortage events. DPs which are enrolled in these Voluntary ELSPs are compensated for power shedding with up to 2 $/Kwh. Comparing the power shedding compensation to the desalinated water price and violation penalties, reveals obvious economic advantage for power shedding.This imbalance in tariffs and penalties creates inefficiency in the joint management strategies of the energy and the water sectors. This inefficiency was recently manifested during the extreme heat wave (May 22-24, 2019). In many areas in the country, the temperature exceeded 40&#8451; and in several monitoring stations temperature records were broken and humidity dropped to 10%. Consequently, power demands increased and broke historical records. The IEA and the System Manager (SM) have utilized all available electricity production units and the possible ELSPs. On May 23rd, the IEA asked large consumers, among them some of the DPs, to shed their consumption for four hours. At the same time, water demands in the national system were also high at about 25% over the previous week in average. The national water company utilized its available production wells, its surface water supply and the available storage. Noteworthy that the extreme weather conditions contributed to over 1000 fires around the country, which increased the pressure for a reliable water supply.&#160; &#160;Considering the conflict between the water and energy sector above, the national water system operator turned to its regulator, the Water Authority (WA), and asked for their intervention to prevent the DPs from engaging in ELSP. Nevertheless, based on contractual and legal issues, the WA cannot force the DPs to maintain production. As such, only "informal" requests were made, in which one of the DPs rejected the ELSP offer.At the end, there was no water or power outage, but this case study emphasizes the water-energy nexus and the need for a collaboration between the two sectors at the national level, this is especially true under extreme conditions. The current tariffs are clearly imbalanced and they cannot contribute to efficient joint management. Regulation and policy should be advised, but even though the WA and the IEA are both governmental authorities they lack an official mechanism to decide on joint management strategies.

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Applying the Water-Energy Nexus for Water Supply—A Diagnostic Review on Energy Use for Water Provision in Africa

Water ◽

10.3390/w12092560 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 2560

Author(s):

Pauline Macharia ◽

Norbert Kreuzinger ◽

Nzula Kitaka

Keyword(s):

Water Supply ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Energy Use ◽

Performance Indicator ◽

Supply And Demand ◽

Water Energy Nexus ◽

Water Supply And Demand ◽

Water Provision ◽

Anthropogenic Pollutant

This work explores the application of the Water-Energy Nexus concept for water supply in the African context, where its operationalization is quite limited compared to developed regions. Furthermore, water supply and demand drivers and their influence on energy use are examined. This study found that there is limited literature available on the operationalization of the concept, and energy use is not considered a key performance indicator by water regulators and utilities. Regionally, most of the studies were carried out in the northern and southern Africa, where energy demand for water supply through desalination is high. An analysis of water supply and demand drivers show diminishing quantities of available freshwater, and increased anthropogenic pollutant loads in some areas are projected. Consequently, utilities will likely consider alternative energy-intensive water supply options. Increased population growth with the highest global urban growth rate is projected, with about 60% of the total population in Africa as urban dwellers by 2050. This implies huge growth in water demand that calls for investment in technology, infrastructure, and improved understanding of energy use and optimization, as the largest controllable input within utilities boundaries. However, it requires a data-driven understanding of the operational drivers for water supply and incorporation of energy assessment metrics to inform water-energy policies and to exploit the nexus opportunities.

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Actors in Water Governance: Barriers and Bridges for Coordination

Water ◽

10.3390/w11020326 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 326 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Eva Lieberherr ◽

Karin Ingold

Keyword(s):

Water Supply ◽

Local Control ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Water Governance ◽

Conclusive Evidence ◽

Democratic Legitimacy ◽

Water Sector ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽

Multiple Actors

Multiple actors across different institutional levels play a role in water governance. The coordination of these actors is important for effective water governance. However, the joining together of multiple actors can have several implications, such as a redistribution of power across actors, a change in democratic control and citizen influence as well as shifting accountability structures. These implications can involve different barriers and bridges that might impede or foster coordination. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, we assess the following barriers and bridges for coordination: (1) reputational power in terms of who is perceived as important for coordination in the water sector; (2) democratic legitimacy in terms of actors’ value of local control of water services; and (3) accountability in terms of the regional actors’ capacity to steer in the water sector. This article focuses on three cases in a Swiss region that has experienced water provision challenges due to its highly fragmented water supply structures. We find that reputational power serves as a bridge in our three cases: when the actors responsible for water supply regard potential coordination partners as important, then we observe coordination. In contrast, we do not find conclusive evidence to support the assumption that a fear of losing local control is a barrier for coordination. Instead, our results indicate that accountability, in the form of vertical steering by the regional actors, serves as a bridge for coordination, and that this could help mitigate some of the potentially negative effects of democratic legitimacy perceptions: through convening local actors or providing positive incentives to municipalities to work together, regional actors can foster coordination.

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A Water Compact for Sustainable Water Management

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12187339 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 7339

Author(s):

Khaldoon A. Mourad

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Water Sector ◽

Governance System ◽

Resources Management ◽

Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

National Workshop

The water sector in Somalia is fragmented and needs coordination to establish a functioning water governance system. Therefore, commitments from all affected stakeholders are needed to support water resources development in Somalia. This paper proposed a water compact for Somalia that can address all water sector challenges to approach sustainability. The paper starts by analyzing water sector stakeholders in Somalia, describing their missions and relationship with the compact, categorizing all selected stakeholders based on their power and interest, and identifying key stakeholders. Based on the outcome from the national workshop and the literature, a water compact was proposed highlighting possible actions to solve the identified challenges. The compact covered four thematic areas: water governance, water use and services, water resilience, and integrated water resources management, which were discussed by all engaged stakeholders in a national workshop. The water compact will ensure sustainable water resources management. The paper highlighted the need for engaging the local media and the local people to get the much needed and valued feedback for possible interventions.

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Does water governance matter to water sector performance? Evidence from ten provinces in China

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2014.053 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 268-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Eduardo Araral ◽

Yahua Wang

Keyword(s):

Water Availability ◽

Water Governance ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Water Security ◽

Foreseeable Future ◽

Water Sector ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Sector Performance ◽

And Performance

Water scarcity ranks as one of China's most serious problems today and in the foreseeable future. Rapid urbanization and industrialization and the attendant problems of overconsumption, pollution and inefficient water use have driven and will continue to drive China's water crisis. Most scholars assert that improving water governance is the key to water security in developing countries including China. However, there are very few empirical studies to support this claim. We compare water governance in 10 Chinese provinces in terms of 17 indicators of water laws, policies and administration based on a survey of 89 water experts. We then explore the effects of water governance on water sector performance in terms of adequacy of drinking water, availability of water resources and water productivity. Our findings are consistent with the literature and our expectations but more rigorous studies are needed to establish causal links between governance mechanisms and performance.

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Comparing water resources management in China and India: policy design, institutional structure and governance

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2016.001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Eduardo Araral ◽

Xun Wu

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Policy Design ◽

Water Governance ◽

Water Security ◽

Water Sector ◽

Resources Management ◽

China And India ◽

Development Framework

In the area of water governance, there has been little systematic comparison between China and India. The intended contributions of this special issue are threefold. A comparative study of water governance between China and India not only provides opportunities for the two countries to draw lessons from each other, but also sheds light on similar challenges in water resources management in other developing countries. In addition, both China and India are key riparian countries in some of Asia's most important international river basins, and their approaches to water conflicts in these rivers have significant impacts not only on water security but also on regional stability. Finally, comparative water governance is a new and undeveloped field of study. This special volume introduces a Modified Institutional Analysis and Development Framework as a tool to facilitate more systematic, theoretical, and comparative approaches to water governance in the context of comparative study of China and India. It does so by specifying various dimensions of the institutional context and how they could explain variations in the performance of the water sector. The aim is to help advance the current theoretical and applied discourse on comparative water governance as a basis for improving water sector performance.

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How Can Water Sector Cooperation Support Democratic Governance? Insights from Morocco

Middle East Law and Governance ◽

10.1163/18763375-13010004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 72-97

Author(s):

Annabelle Houdret

Keyword(s):

Water Governance ◽

Democratic Governance ◽

Development Cooperation ◽

External Support ◽

Water Sector ◽

Key Factors ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Water Projects ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

Large Scope

Abstract This paper analyzes how development cooperation can actively support democratic governance through cooperation in the water sector. To answer this question, we develop an analytical approach based on democratization research and on water governance research. We tested the approach in three donor-supported water projects in Morocco and carried out over seventy interviews with key stakeholders. Our findings show (a) key factors influencing the scope for external support for democratic governance in the water sector, (b) potential negative effects of the support when local elites grasp new resources, and (c) unintended positive spill-over effects of water projects on democratic governance within and beyond the sector (for instance, strengthening formerly marginalized groups). As these empirical findings suggest, there is a potentially large scope of action for supporting democratic governance through water sector cooperation. We therefore highlight the need for more analytical and empirical research on causal interlinkages between these two fields of intervention.

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