Valuing of Wadi El-Rayan ecosystem through water-food-energy nexus approach

- Mismanagement of Wadi El-Rayan water resources could lead to depletion of the lagoons and deterioration of eco-health.
- This study aims, through the satisfaction of the definition of nexus, to assess environmental value of Wadi El-Rayan.
- Different indicators: agriculture/aquaculture production and energy production/consumption, are employed to indicate the value of three ecosystem health conditions.

Wadi El-Rayan Protected Area (WERPA) is considered a model protectorate and an ecological restoration success. Development and mismanagement of Wadi El-Rayan vulnerable water resources could lead to the depletion of two artificial lakes and large scale deterioration of ecosystem health. We quantify the environmental value of preserving WERPA by applying the water-food-energy nexus approach and the concept of non-monetary opportunity cost. Three output indicators: agriculture, aquaculture and net energy production are selected to assess the value of different ecosystem health conditions under three water management scenarios. STELLA object oriented modeling environment has been used to simulate the scenarios that led to favorable, satisfactory, and critical ecosystem health conditions. The results demonstrated that the economic output that could be realized by reaching the favorable condition has twice the value of the acceptable condition.