The waterâenergyâfood nexus in MENA

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the worldâs largest oil exporting region. It is also its largest importer of cereals, poultry, and sugar and one of its most arid regions. Its role in global energy and food markets is pivotal. In contrast, no comparable global market for water exists as âblue waterâ (water in lakes and rivers, together with ground water) is a bulk commodity that is not very suitable for long-distance transportation. Yet via its food trade, the MENA imports huge quantities of âvirtual waterâ (water that was used to produce a commodity and is hence embedded in it). Virtual water trade has added the equivalent of a second river Nile to the water balance of the region and is the conditio sine qua non of its food security, as it had already lost the ability to produce all its required food from renewable water resources in the 1970s