This study analyzes past and future scenarios for the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus in the Blue Nile Basin in Sudan. Water availability, hydropower generation, irrigation water supply, and environmental flows are the components considered in the current assessment. A calibrated daily rainfall-runoff and water allocation model was used to quantify the four nexus components and their interlinkages. The model includes three storage reservoirs (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Rosaries Dam, and Sennar Dam), seven inflow nodes, five irrigation demand nodes, evaporation losses from reservoirs, return flows from irrigation schemes, and transmission losses from river reaches. Due to a scarcity of ground rainfall data in the study area, a pixel-to-point evaluation was conducted for four satellite-based rainfall products, and the best-performing one was used as a boundary condition for the rainfall-runoff component of the model. The model was used to assess the historical and future association of seven WEFE nexus indicators. Results show a historical association between environmental flow supply, irrigation water supply, and water availability. The heightening of the Roseires Dam in 2013 affected most of the nexus indicators. Results reveal that the steady-state operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will positively affect irrigation water supply, hydropower generation, and environmental flows in the Blue Nile Basin in Sudan.
- Annex 46: Gamal Eldin Mortada A., 2020. Blue Nile basin downstream the Grand Ethiopian Resaissance dam: inception report. ACEWATER2 report JRC122681 (Component of deliverable)
- Annex 47: Gamal Eldin Mortada A., 2020. Blue Nile Basin Downstream the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Database Report. ACEWATER2 report JRC122681 (Component of deliverable)
- Annex 48: Gamal Eldin Mortada A., 2020. Database (hydrology downstream of the Grand Ethiopian Resaissance Dam). ACEWATER2 report JRC122681 (Component of deliverable)
- Annex 49: Gamal Eldin Mortada A., 2020. Blue Nile Basin Downstream the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus assessment. ACEWATER2 report JRC122681 (Main deliverable)