Triple bonding: water, food, energy: Food security and the choice of nuclear techniques

This article represents the second part showing the triangular relationship between water, food and energy. Food security is a central issue that can not be left to changing circumstances. Food is a vital necessity for humans and the concept of food security has evolved over time. The first concern was quantity and then came the attention to quality. At last stage, the focus was on health and environmental aspects and what is known as food safety. Total or partial self sufficiency in food production is a strategic option that Arab countries should strive to achieve despite its high cost, especially in light of the scarcity of water in the Arab region. The third report of the Arab Ministerial Council for water indicates, in a comparison between the cost effectiveness of using water in agriculture or industry, that the average employment in the agricultural sector in the Arab countries is 900 workers per million cubic meters of water while 17,000 jobs per million cubic meters of water in the industrial sector. The report pointed out that the imported food to meet Arab food deficit is estimated at 288 billion cubic meters of virtual water worth about 70 billion cubic meters and 16 billion dollars. (author)