Advancing the water-energy-food nexus: social networks and institutional interplay in the blue Nile

Stein, Christian; Barron, Jennie; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Gedif, Birhanu; Amsalu, Tadesse; Langan, Simon

doi:10.5337/2014.223

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The different data sets allow for triangulation between network structures and narratives (Gamper et al 2012). There are many descriptions of data collection processes using the Net-Map tool (e.g., Hauck 2010, Schiffer and Hauck 2010, Aberman et al 2012, Bell et al 2013, Campbell et al 2014, Stein et al 2014, therefore, we only briefly describe it here.…”

Section: General Description Of Data Collection and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar to Reed et al (2009), or Gamper et al (2012, Prell et al (2011) suggest using a combination of methods e.g. to combine results from classical social network analysis (SNA) with a qualitative analysis of stakeholder knowledge to improve understanding of the relations (see also Beilin et al 2013, Lienert et al 2013, Stein et al 2014, Bellotti 2015, Borg et al 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using social network analysis to identify key stakeholders in agricultural biodiversity governance and related land-use decisions at regional and local level

Hauck¹,

Schmidt²,

Werner³

2016

E&S

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. 2016. Using social network analysis to identify key stakeholders in agricultural biodiversity governance and related land-use decisions at regional and local level. Ecology and Society 21 (2) ABSTRACT. In 2013 the European Commission launched its new green infrastructure strategy to make another attempt to stop and possibly reverse the loss of biodiversity until 2020, by connecting habitats in the wider landscape. This means that conservation would go beyond current practices to include landscapes that are dominated by conventional agriculture, where biodiversity conservation plays a minor role at best. The green infrastructure strategy aims at bottom-up rather than top-down implementation, and suggests including local and regional stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to know which stakeholders influence land-use decisions concerning green infrastructure at the local and regional level. The research presented in this paper served to select stakeholders in preparation for a participatory scenario development process to analyze consequences of different implementation options of the European green infrastructure strategy. We used a mix of qualitative and quantitative social network analysis (SNA) methods to combine actors' attributes, especially concerning their perceived influence, with structural and relational measures. Further, our analysis provides information on institutional backgrounds and governance settings for green infrastructure and agricultural policy. The investigation started with key informant interviews at the regional level in administrative units responsible for relevant policies and procedures such as regional planners, representatives of federal ministries, and continued at the local level with farmers and other members of the community. The analysis revealed the importance of information flows and regulations but also of social pressure, considerably influencing biodiversity governance with respect to green infrastructure and biodiversity.

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Section: General Description Of Data Collection and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using social network analysis to identify key stakeholders in agricultural biodiversity governance and related land-use decisions at regional and local level

Hauck¹,

Schmidt²,

Werner³

2016

E&S

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“…Steps are being taken towards a "Nexus approach". International institutions, such as FAO (e.g., [57,187]), UN (e.g., [188]), IIDS (e.g., [189]), along with many other scholars (e.g., [87,[190][191][192][193][194]) are promoting and working on this line of research, as it is believed to better respond to the complex challenges we are called to deal with. Howells et al, [190] attempts to broaden the approach to integrate the effects of climate change on land, energy and water use (Climate, Land use, Energy, and Water; CLEW-model).…”

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confidence: 99%

Soil Degradation, Land Scarcity and Food Security: Reviewing a Complex Challenge

2016

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Soil health, along with water supply, is the most valuable resource for humans, as human life depends on the soil's generosity. Soil degradation, therefore, poses a threat to food security, as it reduces yield, forces farmers to use more inputs, and may eventually lead to soil abandonment. Unfortunately, the importance of preserving soil health appears to be overlooked by policy makers. In this paper, I first briefly introduce the present situation concerning agricultural production, natural resources, soil degradation, land use and the challenge ahead, to show how these issues are strictly interwoven. Then, I define soil degradation and present a review of its typologies and estimates at a global level. I discuss the importance of preserving soil capital, and its relationship to human civilization and food security. Trends concerning the availability of arable agricultural land, different scenarios, and their limitations, are analyzed and discussed. The possible relation between an increase in a country's GNP, population and future availability of arable land is also analyzed, using the World Bank's database. I argue that because of the many sources of uncertainty in the data, and the high risks at stake, a precautionary approach should be adopted when drawing scenarios. The paper ends with a discussion on the key role of preserving soil organic matter, and the need to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices. I also argue that both our relation with nature and natural resources and our lifestyle need to be reconsidered.

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“…Importantly, within the nexus analysis, natural resources management should also include contextualized definitions of development, and address rights, equity and power relations (Allouche et al, 2015;Foran, 2015;Leese and Meisch, 2015). Therefore, recognizing the political nature of decision-making in nexus, the purpose is to promote more democratic, adaptive, deliberative and reflexive forms of understanding and act upon the challenges posed by nexus (Stein et al, 2014;Allouche et al, 2015).…”

Section: Beyond the Nexus With The Nexus: Toward The Integrated And Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Acknowledging the complex and transdisciplinary nature of Nexus analysis, the active engagement of scientists and non-experts from different sectors in all stages and scales of decision-making is required to capture lessons emerging from different experiences (Kurian, 2017), build a clearer picture of needs and expertise (Howartha and Monasterolo, 2016) and explore and test different perspectives (Pittock et al, 2015). Participation is also considered a process to bring the nexus analysis, its challenges and trade-offs, to concrete actors in real contexts (Stein et al, 2014). For Leck et al, (2015), stronger processes of co-production between researchers and nexus stakeholders are crucial to overcome the institutional barriers that affect nexus implementation, while the absence of participation is a cause for the lack of ownership and consequent failure of nexus based projects in Southern Africa (e.g., Prasad et al, 2012).…”

Section: Beyond the Nexus With The Nexus: Toward The Integrated And Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nexusing Charcoal in South Mozambique: A Proposal To Integrate the Nexus Charcoal-Food-Water Analysis With a Participatory Analytical and Systemic Tool

Martins

2018

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Nexus analysis identifies and explores the synergies and trade-offs between energy, food and water systems, considered as interdependent systems interacting with contextual drivers (e.g., climate change, poverty). The nexus is, thus, a valuable analytical and policy design supporting tool to address the widely discussed links between bioenergy, food and water. In fact, the Nexus provides a more integrative and broad approach in relation to the single isolated system approach that characterizes many bioenergy analysis and policies of the last decades. In particular, for the South of Mozambique, charcoal production, food insecurity and water scarcity have been related in separated studies and, thus, it would be expected that Nexus analysis has the potential to provide the basis for integrated policies and strategies focused on charcoal as a development factor. However, to date there is no Nexus analysis focused on charcoal in Mozambique, neither is there an assessment of the comprehensiveness and relevance of Nexus analysis when applied to charcoal energy systems. To address these gaps, this work applies the Nexus to the charcoal-food-water system in Mozambique, integrating national, regional and international studies analysing the isolated, or pairs of, systems. This integration results in a novel Nexus analysis graphic for charcoal-food-water relationship. Then, to access the comprehensiveness and depth of analysis, this Nexus analysis is critically compared with the 2MBio-A, a systems analytical and design framework based on a design tool specifically developed for Bioenergy (the 2MBio). The results reveal that Nexus analysis is "blind" to specific fundamental social, ecological and socio-historical dynamics of charcoal energy systems. The critical comparison also suggests the need to integrate the high level systems analysis of Nexus with non-deterministic, non-prescriptive participatory analysis tools, like the 2MBio-A, as a means to increase sensitivity to the specifics of charcoal systems while keeping the practical benefits of Nexus as a high level policy design tool. In conceptual terms, this integration promotes open, participatory, integrated, comprehensive and creative analysis and exploration of the Nexus across scales, disciplines and sectors, providing thus, a strong base to design inclusive, sound and robust policies, projects and strategies relating/integrating charcoal, food and water security.

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Advancing the water-energy-food nexus: social networks and institutional interplay in the blue Nile

Cited by 15 publications

References 20 publications

Using social network analysis to identify key stakeholders in agricultural biodiversity governance and related land-use decisions at regional and local level

Using social network analysis to identify key stakeholders in agricultural biodiversity governance and related land-use decisions at regional and local level

Soil Degradation, Land Scarcity and Food Security: Reviewing a Complex Challenge

Nexusing Charcoal in South Mozambique: A Proposal To Integrate the Nexus Charcoal-Food-Water Analysis With a Participatory Analytical and Systemic Tool

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