Editing IPCC:AR6/WGIII/Chapter-12 (section)

=== Box 12.6 | Case Study: Sahara Forest Project in Aqaba, Jordan ===

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'''Nexus framing'''

Shifting to renewable (in particular solar) energy reduces dependency on fossil fuel imports and greenhouse gas emissions, which is crucial for mitigating climate change. Employing renewable energy for desalination of seawater and for cooling of greenhouses in integrated production systems can enhance water availability, increase crop productivity and generate co-products and co-benefits (e.g., algae, fish, dryland restoration, greening of the desert).

'''Nexus opportunities'''

The Sahara Forest project integrated production system uses amply available natural resources, namely solar energy and seawater, for improving water availability and agricultural/biomass production, while simultaneously providing new employment opportunities. Using hydroponic systems and humidity in the air, water needs for food production are 50% lower compared to other greenhouses.

'''Technical and economic''' '''nexus solutions'''

Several major technologies are combined in the Sahara Forest Project, namely electricity production through the use of solar power (PV or CSP), freshwater production through seawater desalination using renewable energy, seawater-cooled greenhouses for food production, and outdoor revegetation using run-off from the greenhouses.

'''Stakeh''' '''olders involved'''

The key stakeholders which benefit from such an integrated production system are from the water sector, which urgently requires an augmentation of irrigation (and other) water, and the agricultural sector, which relies on the additional desalinated water to maintain and increase agricultural production. The project also involves public and private sector partners from Jordan and abroad, with little engagement of civil society so far.

Box 12.6

'''Framework conditions'''

The Sahara Forest Project has been implemented at pilot scale so far, including the first pilot with one hectare and one greenhouse pilot in Qatar and a larger ‘launch station’ with three hectares and two greenhouses in Jordan. These pilots have been funded by international organisations such as the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union. Alignment with national policies, institutions and funding, as well as upscaling of the project, is underway or planned.

'''Monitoring and evaluation''' '''and next steps'''

The multi-sectoral planning and investments that are needed to upscale the project require cooperation among the water, agriculture, and energy sectors and an active involvement of local actors, private companies, and investors. These cooperation and involvement mechanisms are currently being established in Jordan. Given the emphasis on the economic value of the project, public-private partnerships are considered as the appropriate business and governance model, when the project is upscaled. Scenarios for upscaling (seawater use primarily in low-lying areas close to the sea, to avoid energy-intensive pumping) include 50 MW of CSP, 50 hectares of greenhouses, which would produce 34,000 tonnes of vegetables annually, provide employment for over 800 people, and sequester more than 8000 tonnes of CO 2 -eq annually.

Source: SFP Foundation; Hoff et al. (2019).

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