Climate Change Adaptation through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Southern Africa

Abstract

Climate change is a complex and cross-cutting problem that needs an integrated and transformative systems approach to respond to the challenge. Current sectoral approaches to climate change adaptation initiatives often create imbalances and retard sustainable development. Regional and international literature on climate change adaptation opportunities and challenges applicable to southern Africa from a water-energy-food (WEF) nexus perspective was reviewed. Specifically, this review highlights climate change impacts on water, energy, and food resources in southern Africa, while exploring mitigation and adaptation opportunities. The review further recommends strategies to develop cross-sectoral sustainable measures aimed at building resilient communities. Regional WEF nexus related institutions and legal frameworks were also reviewed to relate the WEF nexus to policy. Southern Africa is witnessing an increased frequency and intensity in climate change-associated extreme weather events, causing water, food, and energy insecurity. A projected reduction of 20% in annual rainfall by 2080 in southern Africa will only increase the regional socio-economic challenges. This is exacerbating regional resource scarcities and vulnerabilities. It will also have direct and indirect impacts on nutrition, human well-being, and health. Reduced agricultural production, lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and clean, sustainable energy are the major areas of concern. The region is already experiencing an upsurge of vector borne diseases (malaria and dengue fever), and water and food-borne diseases (cholera and diarrhoea). What is clear is that climate change impacts are cross-sectoral and multidimensional, and therefore require cross-sectoral mitigation and adaptation approaches. In this regard, a well-coordinated and integrated WEF nexus approach offers opportunities to build resilient systems, harmonise interventions, and mitigate trade-offs and hence improve sustainability. This would be achieved through greater resource mobilisation and coordination, policy convergence across sectors, and targeting nexus points in the landscape. The WEF nexus approach has potential to increase the resilience of marginalised communities in southern Africa by contributing towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 13).

Cereal Production Trends under Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in Southern Africa

“…As a result, agricultural productivity in southern Africa is anticipated to decrease from 15% to 50% by 2080 due to climate change and variability [55]. Apart from food insecurity, other sectors like water and energy would also be greatly affected [56]. The largest proportions of vulnerable populations to these vagaries of climate change are invariably found in the rural areas where 60% of the population resides.…”

“…The largest proportions of vulnerable populations to these vagaries of climate change are invariably found in the rural areas where 60% of the population resides. Rural communities in southern Africa are characterised by chronic water, food and energy insecurity and malnourishment remain endemic [56].…”

“…An important consideration when developing adaptation strategies is to understand how sectoral and cross-sectoral climate change impacts affect the rural and urban poor [72]. As climate change is a crosscutting, adaptation strategies should be framed in the context of the WEF nexus, which ensures that they are evidence based, coordinated and coherent [37,56]. The SADC Secretariat produced a policy paper on climate change, which stresses on cross-sectoral approach to mitigate climate change impacts [73].…”

Sustainability Indicators and Indices for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus for Performance Assessment: WEF Nexus in Practice – South Africa Case Study

“…For this reason, the concept has been criticised for lack of clarity and practical applicability [14] and some have even branded it as repackaging of the IWRM [15]. The criticisms have been aided by the substantial amount of literature that has been published recently highlighting the importance of the WEF nexus as a conceptual framework and as a discourse, but evidently lacking on analytical tools that can be used to provide real world solutions [9,[16][17][18]. Therefore, what remains with the WEF nexus are methods to evaluate synergies and trade-offs in an integrated way and decision support tools that can be used to prevent conflicts, reduce investment risks and maximise on economic returns [17,19].…”

“…Thus, sustainability indicators are simplified decision support tools that aim to minimise the amount of complex interrelationships among resources, converting those relationships into simple formulations that make assessments easier [38]. Thus, sustainability indicators are essential tools in modelling the WEF nexus as it intends to balance cross-sectoral resource planning, utilisation and management [9,18]. This study, therefore defined WEF nexus indicators and applies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to develop composite indices to mathematically establish numerical relationships, interlinkages and interdependences among water, energy and agriculture (agriculture being a proxy for food) resources, using South Africa as a case study.…”