The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Enhancing Adaptive Capacity to Complex Global Challenges

Scott, Christopher A.; Kurian, Mathew; Wescoat, James L.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-05747-7_2

Cited by 129 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…These inter-linkages and trade-offs among resources could be assessed better in the water-energy-food security nexus framework (Figure 2). Eutrophication is one of the important loops that needs to be closed in the nexus framework [14]. The problem appears to be universal, especially in the developing countries, where soil-and water-testing is neither scientific nor systematic.…”

Section: Trade-offs and Thresholdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Water–Energy–Food Nexus Perspective on the Challenge of Eutrophication

Reddy

Cunha

Kurian

2018

Water

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This paper attempts to understand and explore the problem of eutrophication in the context of agriculture with the help of a nexus perspective. Eutrophication is significantly linked to water and energy resources with theoretically well-defined trade-offs and threshold levels. While looking at the linkages between water and land resources comprehensively, our paper questions the present approach to designing and implementing watershed management, and analyses the effects of agricultural intensification, especially in dry regions. Eutrophication is the process by which excessive nutrient loads in water bodies lead to undesirable water-quality problems and the degradation of the overall aquatic ecosystem. Due to limited information and knowledge on water and soil quality in most countries, farmers continue to use fertilizers at an increasing rate and agricultural run-off has been carrying ever more nitrogen and phosphorus into water bodies. This is likely to become a vicious cycle of eutrophication affecting food and water security. Of late, soil-and water-conservation interventions, like watershed development, are further reducing run-off. It is argued that there is a need to rethink the assumptions under which watershed interventions are designed and implemented.

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Section: Trade-offs and Thresholdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Water–Energy–Food Nexus Perspective on the Challenge of Eutrophication

Reddy

Cunha

Kurian

2018

Water

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“…The movement away from the more traditional "silo" approach to natural resource use practices has been encouraged by organizations such as the United Nations and the World Economic Forum [2]. "The nexus approach requires that interrelating factors be brought together, those that previously had been considered separated, indeed even isolated" [3]. These are complex relationships.…”

Section: The Food-energy-water Nexusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring citizens' support for policy tools at the food, energy, water nexus

Bullock

Bowman

2017

Env Prog and Sustain Energy

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The food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus is attracting the attention of scholars throughout the fields of engineering, biological sciences, and public policy, among others. However, one important piece missing from the research is an understanding of the types of FEW-related policies citizens support and the factors that drive public support for those policies. As reported in this article, data from a nationally representative survey of the adult U.S. population show that the public's support for different policy tools varies. To understand more about the public's preferences, we use a series of analytic techniques including factor analysis and factor score regressions to test possible explanations for these preferences. We find that citizens' knowledge about FEW nexus issues increases their support of policies for managing food, energy, water resources; broad concern for the environment also increases support. The public's preferences are also influenced by political ideology, political party identification, and education. These results contribute to an understanding of the public's potential willingness to embrace the role government can play in addressing FEW nexus issues.

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“…We consider some of these insights in relation to the Indus Basin in Pakistan. Scott et al (2015) considered that "resource recovery is the basic biophysical expression of the nexus approach", and that biophysical limits ultimately require resource uses that do not externalise unwanted impacts. The authors emphasised resource linkages beyond a biophysical analysis to include materials, institutions and security.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kirby et al (2017) characterised the material linkages between water and food for three population growth scenarios in Pakistan, with a focus on one aspect of food security, food availability, and provided biophysical bounds and possibilities for the water-food system by exploring water use and crop yield assumptions. In this paper we extend the analysis to include material interactions with energy and, following Scott et al (2015), anticipate beyond material linkages to consider institutional and security dimensions. "Security" here refers to "human and ecosystem dependence dimensions of resource security".…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The water–food–energy nexus in Pakistan: a biophysical and socio-economic challenge

et al. 2018

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Abstract. We draw on previous work examining historical trends, likely future water use and food availability in Pakistan and extend the analysis to consider interactions with hydropower generation and the energy demand in food production due to pumping of groundwater for irrigation. Business-as-usual scenarios suggest growing demands for groundwater and energy use for food production as population grows rapidly. However, groundwater use is already unsustainable in many areas, and energy supply is failing to keep up with demand. Quantifying material linkages between water, food and energy provides a means to explore biophysical constraints. Characterising institutional constraints is equally important, as they can be significant barriers to effective stewardship of water, energy and food resources. The experience in Pakistan reinforces this finding, and we discuss the implications for hydrologists.

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The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Enhancing Adaptive Capacity to Complex Global Challenges

Cited by 129 publications

References 44 publications

A Water–Energy–Food Nexus Perspective on the Challenge of Eutrophication

A Water–Energy–Food Nexus Perspective on the Challenge of Eutrophication

Exploring citizens' support for policy tools at the food, energy, water nexus

The water–food–energy nexus in Pakistan: a biophysical and socio-economic challenge

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