It is increasingly acknowledged that the water-energy-climate change (WECC) nexus is one of the synergies that pose a significant risk to achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), specifically numbers six, seven and thirteen. There are suggestions that climate change outcomes such as increased temperature and drought episodes have implications for water availability, which in turn affects energy production in countries dependent on hydropower, pump-storage or coal-generated electricity, including South Africa. This development therefore calls for improved understanding of how to effectively manage the challenges that arise from this nexus, to mitigate the impacts it may have on achieving the associated SDGs. This study, which is based on an in-depth appraisal of existing developments, assessed the potential of the integrated water resource management framework in understanding the WECC nexus and its implications for South Africa’s sustainable development endeavours, particularly in the context of water resource management and utilisation. The study revealed South Africa’s lack of integrated, effective, and efficient institutions and policy framework to comprehensively manage the challenges emanating from this nexus. It identified an urgent need to develop systems and processes through which South Africa can handle the challenges as well as capture the benefits that may be obtained from this nexus.
Water and energy interdependency, in the context of climate change, threatens security of these resources. Anecdotal evidence suggests that risks associated with the “Water-Energy-Climate Change” (WECC) nexus will affect all subsectors of the economy. Yet the WECC nexus has not received commensurate attention in research and policy. Some countries have begun identifying avenues to understand and forestall WECC impacts, but less so in developing countries. This has compromised the adaptive capacity and resilience of developing countries' economies to WECC impacts. This paper analyses existing literature, historical and contemporary secondary data on climate change, water and energy interdependency in South Africa. It outlines the interlinkages and implications of these three components on each other, particularly within the discourse of sustainable water resource management. The paper recommends water-centric approaches to improve evidence-based institutional and policy frameworks to address the myriad challenges of this nexus in a holistic and integrated manner.
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