SustainFood at the AGU Conference
By: Laura Snyder
Yousef Khajavigodellou is a Dual-PhD candidate in Geography & Environmental Science Policy at Michigan State University. He participated in SustainFood’s 2024 Collaborative Learning
School (CLS) at the Dickinson College Farm in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and represented SustainFood at the 2024 AGU Conference, where he presented research from that field experience. This year’s AGU Conference will be held December 15-19 in New Orleans, LA. The theme is “Where Science Connects Us,” which is fitting considering the increasing need for international
collaboration to conserve global water resources. The program schedule for the December conference will be finalized in September.
In 2024, Yousef authored the paper titled ”Advances in Integrated Crop-Livestock-Biogas Systems for Enhancing Water Quality and Sustainability in the Chesapeake Bay Watersheds: A
Case Study of Dickinson College Farm,” which presents a model to manage livestock and nutrient waste to prevent and reduce waterway pollution. Yousef co-authored a paper titled “Optimizing
Biogas Production from Agri-waste: A System Dynamics Analysis of Anaerobic Digestion and Dickinson College Farm.” Dickinson College Farm has a biogas plant which reduces water pollution by harnessing agriculture waste before it ever reaches the Chesapeake Bay. The result from his research encourages policy development, grant funding, and the promotion of technical knowledge to implement similar biogas facilities in the area to mitigate water pollution.
The 2024 CLS at Dickinson College Farm provided unique insight into the future of the WEF nexus. Dickinson College Farm prioritizes sustainability in its resource management with biogas production, local food production for Dickinson College, and making every attempt to minimize waste and use closed-loop systems. It is an exemplary farm with its effective use of agricultural resources. Yousef’s experience at Dickinson College Farm, and his background growing up on a rural farm gives him a unique insight into agriculture and the WEF nexus.
Yousef’s current research focuses on transboundary river basins in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Water is an especially precious resource in MENA region for agriculture and energy production, and when a river basin shares borders with multiple countries there is potential for conflict over water usage. These potential conflicts are magnified when river basins share borders with multiple countries, such as the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates basins. Water diplomacy aims to minimize conflict over water usage between international players in both the short and long term. As conflict arises from changes in the global climate and world markets, water diplomacy addresses these changes by anticipating solutions for oncoming conflicts. Yousef also studies the Urmia Lake Basin (ULB) in western Iran, a region that has experienced severe water loss in recent years and now requires urgent and strategic management to sustain the livelihoods of its dependent populations. Research on Lake Urmia has emphasized the complex interplay of socio-economic and political feedback loops that have contributed to water bankruptcy in the basin, largely resulting from decades of government-led development interventions.
Successful water diplomacy requires cooperation between local and international levels. Yousef finds that by involving both small and large stakeholders we can reach a common understanding of how to share water in a way that benefits everyone. A strong network with highly involved stakeholders ensures that all voices are heard. Women as a group have been historically left out of WEF nexus resource management across the globe. Through his systematic review of the WEF news and water diplomacy, Yousef identifies a need for policy and platforms that promote women’s participation in water diplomacy.
Yousef plans to continue his research on water diplomacy through two case studies—the MENA region and the Urmia Lake Basin—and aims to publish his findings in the upcoming fall. He is committed to advancing academic inquiry into the dynamics of water diplomacy, crisis, and conflict, anticipating that these challenges will grow increasingly urgent and complex in the years ahead. He envisions a future where SustainFood expands its presence into the Middle East, fostering opportunities for stakeholders to advocate for sustainable management of WEF resources through an integrated nexus approach