Reuse of nutrient-rich treated wastewater for a food self-sufficiency in MENA: Addressing health concerns of emerging contaminants of small-scale farmers through agro-ecological tools
SafeAgroMena lies in the water, health, and water for food sectors and will be implemented in Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the driest regions in the world. The accelerating water crisis in MENA leads to competition over the available water resources among the different sectors. Policymakers often respond to this competition by reallocating the designated water share of the agricultural sector—which exceeds 50% of water withdrawals in most MENA countries—to other priority uses and users, particularly municipal water users. Meanwhile, treated wastewater reuse is promoted as a substitute for fresh water in agriculture. This reallocation–reuse policy would help maintain MENA's agricultural activities while narrowing the supply-demand gap for freshwater. However, it is expected that such policies will result in ecological, social, and health impacts on both rural and urban communities in the MENA region. On top of this, the potenti