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Water and electricity are fundamentally linked. At a basic level electricity generation requires water, and water treatment and transportation use electricity. Historically, there has been little reason to understand the nature of these links, due largely to the presumption that water was not a threat to energy security, nor electricity a threat to water security. This presumption is now being challenged. Industry reforms, increasing demand, and more recently climate change – are bringing into sharp focus the links between water and electricity in unprecedented ways. General awareness of the links between water and electricity is increasing daily, as the ramifications of the links are being felt the world over: Society's ability to deal with the challenges and uncertainties arising from the links between water and electricity is being hindered by limited understanding of the nature of the links, and seeming lack of policy tools to effectively analyze them. This paper reviews comprehensively the links between water and electricity. Presents a classification system for identifying links. Using the classification system, this study further discusses these links by drawing upon examples from literature and follows with a synopsis of the nature of these links. With this background, the paper reviews and compares water-energy studies in terms of scope, objectives, methodologies and key findings, discusses major limitations of these studies and identifies important areas that would benefit from more in-depth research. This research contends that this type of approach is unsuitable in the longer term, particularly when examining complex and multidimensional issues like the water-energy nexus. This work suggests that the nature of the nexus should and can be explored from a wider perspective, by developing a suitable integrated methodological framework to serve as a platform for such exploration. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to outline the development of such a framework. Introduces Integral Theory and discusses how Integral Theory has shaped the development of the methodological framework employed in this research. Presents the framework and describes the suite of methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water sector in Algeria has to date paid scant attention to the issue of climate change and is often unaware of its impact on future water resources. Studies will be needed to assess the impact and cost of climate change and draw up adaptation solutions. Forecasts are not optimistic. Models for climate change indicate that rainfall could decrease by more than 20% by 2050, which would result in even greater worsening water shortages in different basins of Algeria. The construction of 70 dams planned will provide only small additional volumes. The particular challenge for Algeria in the coming decades will be to adapt to a decrease in renewable water resources. The country will have to carefully manage these resources. Mobilization of non-conventional water resources (desalination and wastewater reuse) will be a strategic component of future water policy. The development of unconventional resources and the management of water demand will increase more the energy consumption of the water sector. This consumption would reach nearly 12% of the country׳s consumption and must be integrated dice now in the country׳s energy forecasts. More coordinated planning and action will consequently be required between the water and energy sectors if further aggravation of the water deficit is to be avoided. Moreover, the revolution in renewable energy (wind and solar power) in terms of technological development and costs may help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and ensure reserves for future generations by fostering decentralized renewable energy projects for alimentation of pumping stations. Algeria has thus set itself by 2030 a share of renewable energy in the national energy balance of between 30% and 40%. The share of renewable power by 2023 will represent about 17% of installed capacity (5539 MW) compared to 4.74% in 2011 (540 MW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]