The Five Ws of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Reflexive Approach to Enable the Production of Actionable Knowledge

Abstract

The water-energy-food nexus is now a popular approach in the sustainability field. However, whereas the nexus calls for more holistic, inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, the research produced over the past decade has been fragmented and specialized. Furthermore, there is still a gap between the nexus as a descriptive and analytical concept and its operationalization. Nexus research needs a shift from “thinking” to “action,” which we understand as the production of actionable knowledge. This paper delves into the literature and presents five “W” questions as an iterative heuristic for the nexus concept to encourage reflexivity and inter-and transdisciplinary dialogue, while aiming at the production of actionable knowledge. We draw on the literature to discuss the five “W” questions of the nexus, namely: (i) Why, in which we explore the purpose of nexus research for actionable knowledge; (ii) What, in which we explore the material aspect of the nexus and the interactions between water, energy and food systems; (iii) Where, in which we discuss issues of scale, interactions between scales, and the geographical context of the nexus; (iv) When, in which we consider temporal dimensions of nexus research with a particular emphasis on intergenerational trade-offs, and (v) Who, which focuses on nexus stakeholders and the importance of understanding issues of justice and equity. Finally, we discuss the connections and dependencies between the five Ws, reinforcing the importance for researchers to reflect on their decision-making and engage in inter- and transdisciplinary debate to enable nexus action.

Co-creating sustainability indicators for the local water–energy–food nexus

“…However, this brings along the risk of overlooking local characteristics and specific needs, such as typical production and consumption patterns and possible related environmental impacts (Arthur et al 2019 ). Our research showed how local characteristics and specific needs can be taken into account through active collaboration with local stakeholders and, in doing so, enhance the saliency and legitimacy of the knowledge produced (Dalla Fontana et al 2021 ).…”

“…The process of engagement was mainly between academics and practitioners. However, we recognize that a greater involvement of local communities (Dalla Fontana et al 2021 ), and in particular of local farmers in our case, would have been valuable to bring different insights. This was also reported as one of the flaws of this project by the representatives of the municipality and the LoP project.…”

“…We have given great attention to the local context by focusing on the activities of the LoP project to promote sustainable agricultural practices and natural resources preservation in the rural south zone of São Paulo. As a result, the developed indicators are usable to the local government (Dalla Fontana et al 2021 ) and can support current and future sustainability projects in alignment with local needs and priorities, rather than aspiring to abstract and decontextualized sustainability standards (Urbinatti et al 2020 ). Practitioners from the municipality expect that the set of indicators can help to assess whether the LoP actions will consolidate as long-term public policies contributing to economic development, social inclusion, and environmental preservation.…”

“…On the other hand, it is also important to build on existing knowledge and instruments that are already familiar to practitioners and users, to facilitate the comprehension and improve the usability of the information (Wahl et al 2021 ). Also, practitioners have only a certain capacity of managing data, so to consider and use previous experiences and knowledge may be advantageous for the decision-making process (Dalla Fontana et al 2021 ).…”

Water strategies and water–food Nexus: challenges and opportunities towards sustainable development in various regions of the World

“…Within this framework, the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme funded several projects to investigate the strong relationship amongst the water, energy, and food subsystems (WEF Nexus), in relation to the climate change impacts, as being essential mechanisms in achieving the goals of the European Green Deal. This deal aims to make the EU’s economy sustainable by making the WEF Nexus an effective tool in sustainable development, and by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities in all policy areas Fontana et al ( 2021 ) Frontiers in Water Presented “Five W Questions” (FWQ) as an iterative guide to the concept of WEF Nexus to encourage reflexivity and interdisciplinary dialogue, while aiming to produce actionable knowledge. The FWQ are: (i) ‘why’, in which the purpose of correlative research for actionable knowledge can be explored; (ii) ‘what’, in which the physical aspect of the interdependence and interactions amongst water, energy, and food subsystems (WEF Nexus) can be understood; (iii) ‘where’, in which issues of scale, interactions between scales, and the geographic context of the WEF Nexus or interdependence can be discussed; (iv) ‘when’, in which the temporal dimensions of interconnected research with a particular focus on intergenerational trade-offs can be considered; and (v) ‘who’ which focuses on relevant stakeholders and the importance of understanding justice and equity issues Heal et al ( 2021 ) Hydrological Science Journal Pointed out that the role of water quality and, in particular, its impact on health, the environment, and the broader well-being of the water–energy–food (WEF) Nexus, is rarely acknowledged.…”