Rabi Mohtar

American University of Beirut and Texas A&M University · (AUB) Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences; (TX A&M) Civil and Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Water pollution is a major problem exacerbated by untreated wastewater discharged into the environment, leading to eutrophication and algal blooms. This research at the American University of Beirut explores the potential of using Azolla pinnata , an aquatic fern, to rid wastewater from ammonium (NH4-N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), which...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015, describe a universal agenda that applies to all countries. UN members are urged to adopt and implement SDGs policies considering dwindling natural resources and climate change’s effect on sustainable livelihoods and infrastructure. Higher education...

Highlights Synthesize existing knowledge in defining and conceptualizing FEW Nexus. Provide scientists and practitioners in the FEW domains with the tools to define and conceptualize. The study provides narrow-broad definitions and simple-complex conceptualization frameworks for the FEW Nexus. Abstract. Food-energy-water (FEW) resources are fundam...

As Lebanon faces compound challenges, a looming food security crisis is rapidly approaching, much of which could be attributed to the lack of long-term planning for sustainability in its agricultural sector. The disconnect between decision-makers within the agricultural sector, and other interconnected sectors is exacerbated by the lack of integrat...

This study strives to utilize WEF resources for the sustainable development of the city, with respect to future climate change. Two diffusion scenarios of Rcp8.5 and Rcp2.6 from the 5th Assessment Report by the IPCC, with the output of the HADGEM2 model were used and the city of Borujerd, Iran was chosen as the case study. The urban morphological d...

Using hydrostructural pedology, a new paradigm of soil characterization and modeling in agro environmental sciences, we were able to show that the “green water” concept of agronomists corresponds exactly to the pedostructural water concept which was physically defined in this new paradigm. The water in the pedostructure of soils is composed of two...

The aim of this study was to analyze various sustainability strategies for phosphate and phosphorous fertilizer production systems from the perspective of their holistic impacts on water, energy, and CO2 emissions. The study was conducted using the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Tool 2.0, adapted to include the phosphate industry (WEF-P tool). It as...

Beyond academic debates, the nexus remains a new concept for many practitioners and decision-makers, with often only a fuzzy delineation (intersection of water, energy, food, land, climate, biodiversity, health, etc.) and limited attraction. In addition, its association to 'complexity' often hampers the uptake in solution-oriented and sector-specif...

Water, energy, and food are all essential components of human societies. Collectively, their respective resource systems are interconnected in what is called the “nexus”. There is growing consensus that a holistic understanding of the interdependencies and trade-offs between these sectors and other related systems is critical to solving many of the...

Water, energy, and food are all essential components of human societies. Collectively, their respective resource systems are interconnected in what is called the “nexus”. There is growing consensus that a holistic understanding of the interdependencies and trade-offs between these sectors and other related systems is critical to solving many of the...

Largely due to manure management, intensive livestock production is known to negatively impact air, water, and soil quality. Excessive manure is often applied to soil as fertilizer or stored in lagoon. However, some thermo-chemical methods, such as gasification and pyrolysis, can transform manure from waste into a valuable resource. The closed-loop...

The subject of this article is the dynamics of water in a soil pedostructure sample whose internal environment is subjected to a potential gradient created by the departure of water through surface evaporation. This work refers entirely to the results and conclusions of a fundamental theoretical study focused on the molecular thermodynamic equilibr...

This paper describes the beginning of the WEF Nexus Journey in the classroom and shows how the Nexus emerged into the discipline that it is today. The paper offers definitions, shares some success stories from around the world, reflects on future opportunities, and provides a few concluding remarks.

This perspective highlights a place for Health (H) in the Water, Energy, and Water (WEF) nexus. It reviews the reference to health in the WEF nexus literature and makes the case for its inclusion into the WEF Nexus. We argue that although the nexus concept of water, energy, and food is relatively recent, it has been adopted by several UN agencies a...

The American Chemical Society’s Division of Environmental Chemistry symposium Toward Creating a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Community of Practice, brought together 25 cross-disciplinary speakers in five thematic areas: 1) state of the art models and approaches, 2) WEF Nexus initiatives and case studies, 3) WEF governance and stakeholder engagemen...

Globally, water is a bottleneck to food security and, as such, a new approach for water for food is needed. Food insecurity is knocking at every nation's door, including those of the most developed. Moreover, the disruptions in food supply chains that result from continued reliance on a business-as-usual approach of traditional, non-sustainable foo...

Food security and water sustainability in arid and semiarid regions are threatened by rapid population growth, declining natural resources, and global climate change. Countries in the arid regions compensate meat import by raising domestic livestock with cultivated green fodder, which diminishes lands for other crops and depletes precious water res...

Brazil is a powerhouse in terms of water resources, which are instrumental to the country’s transition to sustainability. However, to realize this potential, substantial management and conservation hurdles must first be overcome. We propose a novel strategy for the use, management, and conservation of Brazilian water resources. Our approach recogni...

The upper and lower bounds of amplification factors of lumped finite element schemes are compared with nodal (integer or half-integer multiple of) eigen-value solutions of consistent finite element scheme at element and node levels of error analysis. The closeness or proximity between bounds on solutions of amplification factors and eigen-solutions...

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprints for achieving a sustainable future, and understanding the interlinkages among social, economic, and environmental fields is a key factor in accomplishing them. The goal of this study was to analyze a framework for sustainable economic growth considering the trade-offs among economic inequality...

Water poverty index (WPI) is widely considered a simple and clear tool to evaluate the effects of combined factors on water shortage and resources stress. In this research, we tried to focus on water tensions in the upstream part of the Karoon basin in Iran for analyzing the water status of the area. For this purpose, the required data were firstly...

Estimates are that 70% of the global population will be concentrated in urban areas by 2050; therefore, CEFAS will be critical to sustain these future communities. This article briefly covered the challenges and opportunities for three types of CEPPS, including the opportunities for increasing the circularity of these systems. The short-term and lo...

The subject of this article is the dynamics of water in a soil pedostructure sample whose internal environment is subjected to a potential gradient created by the departure of water through surface evaporation. This work refers entirely to the results and conclusions of a fundamental theoretical study focused on the molecular thermodynamic equilibr...

The complexity of water, food and energy security is analysed from the perspectives of (i) water and food and (ii) water and energy and their interconnectivity and focuses ultimately on water as a primary input into processes, the entry point for participants of the Third World Irrigation Forum. The paper provides an overview of trends in water, fo...

Highlights Quantitative evaluation was performed of dairy waste on soil water-holding capacity. Considering the soil variability on a farm is significant for management practices. Soil aggregate structure plays a pivotal role in studying the impact of waste reuse. Abstract . The livestock sector contributes about 40% of global agricultural output...

The subject of this article is the dynamics of water in a soil pedostructure sample whose internal environment is subjected to a potential gradient created by the departure of water through surface evaporation. This work refers entirely to the results and conclusions of a fundamental theoretical study focused on the molecular thermodynamic equilibr...

The subject of this article is the dynamics of water in a soil pedostructure sample whose internal environment is subjected to a potential gradient created by the departure of water through surface evaporation. This work refers entirely to the results and conclusions of a fundamental theoretical study focused on the molecular thermodynamic equilibr...

The study objective was to develop and use the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Phosphate (WEF-P) Tool to evaluate the impact of Morocco's phosphate industry on water, energy, and food sectors of Khouribga, which is the representative phosphate mining region of Morocco. The developed WEF-P Tool enabled a trade-off analysis based on integrating supply-chain...

The interdependent fundamental systems, water and energy, face abundant challenges, one of which is climate change that expected to aggravate water and energy securities. The hydropower industry benefits have led to its development and growth around the world. Nonetheless, climate change is expected to disturb the future performance of hydropower p...

Abstract. The aim of the study is to apply the Nexus approach for conducting trade-off analysis between industrial and agricultural area, thus we developed Water-Energy-Food Nexus-Phosphate (WEF-P) Tool based on integrating the supply chain processes, transportation, and water-energy footprints. This study evaluated the impact of phosphate industry...

Throughout this book, we note the interdisciplinary nature of nexus research: engaging the full range of physical, life, social, and engineering sciences and integrating them through sophisticated models. Because the objective of Nexus research is to support decision-making ranging from the level of an individual facility to the global Sustainable...

In this chapter, we shift from “what is” to “what might be.” We begin by exploring some criteria for identifying real-world challenges that provide greater impetus and opportunity for applying integrated FEW science to real-world practice. There is the greatest opportunity for FEW Nexus applications to improve outcomes where there is a specific com...

In the past decade, research on interconnected resource challenges has primarily focused on quantifying physical resource interconnections, and there is a growing focus on the social, economic, and policy dimensions of these interconnections. While the nature of the complexity of interconnected resource challenges resulted in emphasizing the need f...

The objective of this study was to reveal the concept water, energy and food (WEF) nexus approach for sustainable agriculture. Water, energy and food are linked to one another since an output from one can be an input to another. Water can be used for irrigation purposes while it is also used for energy production. Some crops are also used for energ...

Soil plays a pivotal role in enhancing global water and food security. Irrigation water constitutes more than 70% of the global water demand. The anticipated demographic increase and changing climate will impose more pressures on the global water and food systems. Therefore, and to achieve the target of “more crop per drop per area”, water manageme...

This study assesses the sustainability of crop production system in Gediz Basin, Turkey and develops forward-looking scenarios for optimal utilization and sustainable allocation of its resources using the water, energy, and food (WEF) Nexus holistic systems approach. Gediz basin data for the year 2014 are used to analyze the current situation and t...

Farmers along the main reach of the Zarqa River Basin (ZRB) commonly utilize treated wastewater for irrigation. Deep percolation is expected to occur as a result of irrigation, and it is expected that preferential flow pathways may facilitate the downward movement of irrigation water. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the susce...

Nations, particularly those with well-established infrastructure, have started to look for new, innovative solutions to address the expected, inevitable high demand for primary resources. The WEF (water-energy-food) Nexus approach, which holistically considers the dynamic interlinkages between water, energy, and food resources, has come to the fore...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has the largest water deficit in the world. It also has the least food self-sufficiency. Increasing food imports and decreasing domestic food production can contribute to water savings and hence to increased water security. However, increased domestic food production is a better way to achieve food sec...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of the pedostructure concept to determine the soil available water capacity, specifically the field capacity (FC). Pedostructure describes the soil aggregate structure and its thermodynamic interaction with water. Specifically, this work compared the calculation of soil water-holding properties base...

The San Antonio Region is home to a rapidly growing population with developing energy and agricultural sectors competing for water, land, and financial resources. Despite the tight inter-connectedness between water, energy, and food challenges, little is known about the levels of communication and coordination among the various officials responsibl...

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of rice-based food security on water, energy, land, and CO2 emissions from a holistic point of view using the Nexus approach, which analyzes tradeoffs between water, energy, and food management. In Japan, both rice consumption and the area harvested for rice have decreased. Maintaining a high self-suffi...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has the largest water deficit in the world. It also has the least food self-sufficiency. Increasing food imports and decreasing domestic food production can contribute to water savings and hence to increased water security. However, increased domestic food production is a better way to achieve food sec...

Using a new paradigm of soil characterization and modeling in agro environmental sciences, named hydrostructural pedology, we were able to show that the "green water" concept of agronomists corresponds exactly to the pedostructural water concept which was physically defined in this paradigm. The water in the pedostructure of soils is composed of tw...

Approaching water, energy, and food, as interconnected system of systems, as an alternative to traditional silo-based resources planning and management approaches continues to fall short of expectations of its research-backed benefits. The lack of nexus applications in policy and decision making can be related to numerous factors, with the main bar...

One possible approach for addressing water and food insecurity involves food production, trade, and water used elsewhere. In this study, we introduce a water footprint for Korean rice products and focus on the impacts of localized cultivation and water supply systems on the water footprint. In addition, we discuss several studies on the application...

Securing sources for water reuse and coordinating efforts of water governing agencies to do so are critical to realizing the potential of reused water to provide nearly 24% of the water demand of the San Antonio Region, defined as regions "L" and "K" by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). This research identifies key governance factors that c...

The paper introduces a holistic framework that identifies the links between energy and other systems (water, land, environment, finance, etc.), and measures the impact of energy portfolios, to offer a solid foundation for the best sustainable decision making in energy planning. The paper presents a scenario-based holistic nexus tool, Energy Portfol...

Soil aggregates structure (pedostructure) plays a pivotal role in regulating water and nutrient circulation, and consequently defines soil health, productivity, and water use efficiency. However, the soil aggregates structure is not currently considered in the quantification of soil-water holding properties. The authors applied a thermodynamic and...

Moving resource management and allocation away from sectoral silos to a paradigm founded in integration and leveraging cross-sectoral and trans-disciplinary synergies will result in expanded opportunities for economic development and improved social well-being (Mohtar, 2017; Mohtar and Daher, 2017). Interventions to address complex resource challen...

Cotton and sorghum yield were more dependent on precipitation than tillage management. No‐till produced a greater cotton and sorghum crop yield in some years. Economic analyses indicate a reduction of costs with no‐till versus conventional practices. Conventional tillage (CT) cropping systems in semiarid regions of south Texas are associated with...

The long-term effect of using treated wastewater is not clearly defined: some researchers argue that it is better than freshwater for the soil health; others disapprove, claiming that irrigation with unconventional water resources causes soil degradation. This study assesses the impact of irrigation with non-traditional water on the chemical and mi...

This research investigates the relation between water, energy, and transportation systems, using the growing hydraulic fracturing activity in the Eagle Ford shale play region of southwest Texas in which the local water systems and road infrastructure were not designed for the frequent transport of water into the production site and of produced gas...

Wastewater reuse is a practice that has been gaining attention for the past few decades as the world's population rises and water resources become scarce. Wastewater application on soil can affect soil health, and the manner and extent to which this occurs depends heavily on soil type and water quality. This study compared the long-term (15+ years)...

The environmental challenges within drylands to providing sustainable water, food, and energy for an increased population test the capacity of integrated science to represent, apply, and project our knowledge to future forecasts. Scientists in this discipline need to provide (i) quantitative understanding of natural resources (land and water), thei...

The interconnection of water, energy, and food resources is complex, with the availability of these resources increasingly stressed by climatic, social, political, economic, demographic, technologic, and other pressures. Addressing these challenges requires a better understanding of the nexus formed by the interconnections between the resources. O...

Heads of households, farmers, and experts in wastewater and agriculture in the West Bank, Tunisia and Qatar were engaged in consultations to understand their farming/gardening practices, perceived benefits and risks of using treated wastewater, willingness to pay for various qualities of water, safe handling practices, and knowledge of local organi...

Smart water networks integrate sensor data, computation, control, and communication technologies to enhance system performance, reliability and consumer satisfaction. The cyber-physical systems are built from, and rely upon, the tight integration of physical elements of real-time sensors and data integration and cyber algorithmic, control computati...

The original version of this article, published in Current Sustainable Renewable Energy Reports, Volume 4, Issue 3, September 2017, inadvertently misspelled an author’s last name on the title page as Haimanote Baybil. The correct name is Haimanote Bayabil.

The challenge of meeting increasing water, energy, and food needs is linked not only to growing demands globally, but also to the growing interdependency between these interconnected resource systems. Pressures on these systems will emerge to become hotspots with different characteristics, and will require a fresh look at the challenges existing bo...