Water food energy nexus water resources are inextricably intertwined with food and energy production. The waterenergyfood nexus is about understanding and managing these oftencompeting interests while also ensuring the integrity of ecosystems. Aug 14, 2017 the nexus has been discussed, debated, researched, and advocated widely but the focus is often on the pairings of waterenergy or waterfood or energyfood. Pdf the nile system dynamics model for waterfoodenergy. Recent thinking, illustrated by the framings of the energywaterfood nexus shown in figures 2 and 3, recognizes the earth as a large coupled human and natural system consisting of many smaller. Analysis the water food energy nexus is the first step to assess the decision maker in developing and evaluating national strategies that take into account the nexus. Wef nexus case studies from europe and germany the workshop participants learn about different perspectives, needs, priorities and values of other sectors and their interconnections in an interactive and participatory way. This is an excerpt from the original article, which can be accessed. For instance, largescale hydraulic infrastructure projects such as snwd or any other. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the worlds freshwater resources, and more than onequarter of the energy used globally is expended on food. The largest uses of freshwater are for agriculture irrigation, energy extractions, and the thermal cooling of power plants. In this study, we investigate three opensource models for their potential application as part of a nexus framework. Managing the food, water, and energy nexus for achieving the. Water and food security, appearing in uns sustainable development goals, are operationalized and assessed in scenario studies employing the water and land footprint concepts.
Water, food and energy are all basic resources underpinning development, not just in terms of poverty alleviation but also more sustained economic growth and social development. New perspectives on the waterenergy food nexus forum background note water, food and energy security are crucial for sustainable longterm economic growth and human wellbeing and there are strong linkages between all three. There are numerous ways in which the three strands of water, energy and food overlap. Renewable energy in the water, energy and food nexus. Water, energy, food nexus thinking explained youtube. The water food energy nexus is emerging as a critical issue in asia and the pacific. A system dynamics approach to integrated water and energy resources management. Water is required to meet the demands of our growing population, to maintain and improve environmental health, and to support the production of food. The nile river is considered one of the most complex rivers in the world because of its transboundary nature and its significance for riparian countries. A nexus is the place where points intersect, linking many different parts of a system together. Food portfolio identifying local food production levels versus. The nexus has been discussed, debated, researched, and advocated widely but the focus is often on the pairings of water energy or water food or energy food.
Introduction to the waterenergy food wef security nexus 2. Waterenergy nexus in the peoples republic of china and emerging issues was prepared by pradeep perera of east asia department of the asian development bank under the guidance of ashok bhargava, director, energy division, east asia department, adb. Relevant reports, articles and research this list of reports, articles and research that illustrates and documents the water energy food wef nexus. The water energy food nexus and climate change adaptation article pdf available in change and adaptation in socioecological systems 21 january 2015 with 1 reads how we measure. The water and food strands of the nexus are inherently linked and have a longstanding record of codependency, resulting in cooperation but it is in the energy strand where the challenges for the uk and the balance for the nexus are going to be under most scrutiny. The waterfoodenergy nexus is a new approach for sustainabilitydirected research. The waterfoodenergy nexus realising a new paradigm. Water, energy and food nexus of this treaty bonds upper and lower riparian to comply with water governance principles.
The water food energy nexus has emerged as one of the most important management challenges facing the sustainability agenda. Pdf the waterenergyfood security nexus in the mediterranean. There is a growing recognition of the interdependencies among the supply systems that rely upon food, water and energy. Food, energy, and water national science foundation. Renewable energy in the water, energy and food nexus aims to bridge this gap, providing the broad analysis that has been lacking on the interactions of renewables within those key. Consider how and where all three are used in the us as events like droughts, oil spills and fluctuating food prices make clear, the us cannot view these systems in isolation. The waterfoodenergy nexus is an approach to consider the interactions between water. Water, food and energy nexus challenges 5 impact on water by 2050, irrigated agriculture on 16% of the total cultivated area is expected to be responsible for 44% of total crop production. The nexus approach aims to identify tradeoffs and synergies of water, energy, and food systems, internalize social and environmental impacts, and guide development of cross. Development investments are increasingly required to consider nexus tradeoffs. Tools for analyzing the waterfoodenergyecosystems nexus. This is done by using data from several subsaharan countries. This article implements an analytical framework to evaluate three sectors in the water energy food wef field, namely resources, services and health outcomes.
While many of them call out the wef nexus specifically, some of them might not have as obvious a connection, so weve made those connections for you. Demand for all three is increasing, driven by a rising global population, rapid urbanization, changing diets and economic growth. The water food energy climate nexus and as a background paper to a major conference on the nexus in bonn 2011 called understanding the nexus. Methodologies for managing the energywaterfood nexus at. Water, energy and food nexus of indus water treaty. Through a comprehensive search of the literature vetted by industry, government, the energy water food nexus. Alain vidal, cgiar challenge program on water and food cpwf background to the nexus and case studies case study nexus case study nexus ecowas ensuring water, food and energy security in the ecowas region. A dynamic, sectorally balanced nexus framework can reveal new systems understanding. In any case, all nexus interventions must take due account of crosscutting issues, principles and good practices in development cooperation. Position paper on water, energy, food and ecosystems wefe nexus and sustainable development goals sdgs 12 2.
Water is the nexus between food, energy, and people. We present a holistic framework for the analysis of nexus tradeoffs. The energy water food nexus concept is now seen as a key paradigm in sustainable development strategies. The connection between the systems is known as the water energy food nexus. Activities in one sector may influence or even constrain economic growth in the others. Position paper on the status of the water food energy nexus in. The waterenergyfood nexus at fao global water partnership. The food energy water nexus understanding south africas. To really benefit from the nexus approach in terms of resource use efficiency it is essential to understand, operationalize and practice the nexus of all three resources. Finally, both energy and food production can significantly affect the quality of water bodies. The waterenergyfood wef nexus builds on the close linkages. A system dynamics approach to integrated water and energy. Nexus platform the waterenergyfood nexus nexus the. New perspectives on the water energy food nexus forum background note water, food and energy security are crucial for sustainable longterm economic growth and human wellbeing and there are strong linkages between all three.
Pdf the water energy food security nexus in the mediterranean. Upper riparian diverted 34 million acre feet maf water out of eastern rivers before entering into pakistan and launched runofriver power plants spree on western rivers in. The methods for interdisciplinary research approaches can be used to unify a collection of related variables, visualize the research problem, evaluate the issue, and. Water, energy and food pillars of global security, prosperity and equity perspectives water perspective food and energy systems are users of resources food perspective water and energy are inputs energy perspective water is the input and food is the output vast individual areas.
This report examines the current state of knowledge about the ewf nexus. The water, energy and food security nexus according to the food and agriculture organisation of the united nations fao, means that water security, energy security and food security are very much linked to one another, meaning that the actions in any one particular area often can have effects in one or both of the other areas. Global projections indicate that demand for freshwater, energy and food will increase significantly over. World economic forum 2011, the bonn 2011 nexus conference, the sixth world water forum, and world water week 2012, have urged an integrated approach to food, water, and. Nexus thinking is a new way of thinking that recognises the crucial interdependence of water, energy and food a relationship that forms the core of the environment nexus project. Interdependencies between food, energy and water systems figure 5.
Waterenergyfood nexus, security, sustainable development, mediterranean. Considering the energy, water, and food security nexus. The food energy water nexus water, as well as the treatment of wastewater, are energy intensive processes. This helps to identify common objectives and entry points for. The wef nexus is broadly defined as an approach that considers the interactions, synergies, harmonisation, and tradeoffs between water, energy, and food when undertaking the management of these resources.
Of all natural resources, energy, water and food are most needed to sustain life on earth. The second section discusses cereal processing, sustainable food security, bioenergy in food production, water and energy consumption in food processing, and mathematical modeling for food undergoing phase changes. Integrated scenarios to support analysis of the food. The first section emphasizes water desalination, water management, and wastewater treatment. The main objective of the current research is providing a method for the decision makers to analysis the water food energy nexus of the crop production system at the national level and carrying out a quantitative. The first challenge in dealing with the waterenergyfood nexus is to understand it. Ian mccalluma, carsten montzkab, bagher bayat b, stefan kolletb, andrii kolotii c,d. This approach will enhance the understanding of the complex and dynamic interrelationships between energy, water and food, and facilitate more sustainable management of these finite resources. The water, energy and food security nexus approach, as advanced by the bonn2011 conference 2012a, b. Important early publications includes a world economic forum report entitled water security. The water energy food climate nexus business leaders at the world economic forum annual meeting in 2008 set out a call to action on water, to raise awareness and develop a better understanding of how water is linked to economic growth across a nexus of issues and to make clear the water security challenge we face if a business. Unless all three elements of the system are in balance, communities cannot flourish. From silos to nexus water security, energy security, and food security are intimately linked. Cwc studies how the water, food, and energy sectors are interrelated and how climate affects this dynamic.
Another phd student will focus on the waterlandfood nexus. It is clear that solutions must be found to assure water security, thereby eliminating the immediate and increasing risk to food security, energy security, and economic growth and stability. Can nexus thinking alleviate global water, food and. Insights for the business community to address some of their questions. Food, water, and energy are inextricably linked in a nexus, and actions in one sector influence the others. Understanding the waterenergyfood nexus in a warming. If it is a water perspective, then food and energy systems are users of the resource see hellegers, et al. With the world population growing at a rate of around 80 million people a year, it is estimated that by 2030 the world will need 30% more water, 40% more energy and 50% more food. Nexus thinking considering the waterenergyfood nexu mdpi. This interconnectivity is illustrated by figure 6, a hybrid. The water energy food wef nexus is rapidly expanding in scholarly literature and policy settings as a novel way to address complex resource and development challenges. The waterlandfood nexus of firstgeneration biofuels. The nexus term in the context of water, food and energy refers to these sectors being inextricably linked so that actions in one policy area commonly have impacts on the others, as well as on the ecosystems that natural resources and human activities ultimately depend upon.
These three sectors water, energy and food security nexus are. The food energy water nexus few nexus has emerged as a new way of understanding the interdependencies among food, energy and water systems, and as a new approach to integrating management and governance across sectors biggs et al. In this regard, emerging crosssectoral approaches such as the water energy food wef nexus could be useful. Developing food, water and energy nexus workflows iiasa pure. Water footprints take an innovative approach to the water. Understanding and managing the complex interactions between water, energy and food water, energy and food are essential for human wellbeing, poverty reduction and sustainable development. A nexus approach can support the transition to a green economy, which aims, among other things, at resource use efficiency and greater policy coherence. The waterenergyfood nexus food and agriculture organization. This water food energy nexus looks at the debate on resource scarcity, with new scientific findings that suggested humanity has exceeded the planetary boundaries, threatening its own safety. At its 24th session, the committee on agriculture faos main technical advisory committee approved faos water governance for agriculture and food security programme, specifically mentioning the waterenergyfood nexus. Developing food, water and energy nexus workflows juser. The waterenergyfood nexus can be framed within the broader sustainability debate and as part of faos vision of sustainable food and agriculture to achieve its mandate of eradi cating hunger, reducing poverty, and sustainably managing and using natural resources and.
The water food energy nexus of biofuel consumption can be further analyzed by evaluating the tradeoff between the maximum number of people the planet could feed, and a partial conversion of the. We classify these methods as qualitative or quantitative for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches. Nafsar workflow working draft fao and university of southampton. Waterenergy nexus in the peoples republic of china and. New technologies for a more resilient, secure and equitable water future. The availability of fresh water is a major driver in food production. Improved water, energy, and food security on a global level can be achieved through a nexus approachan approach that integrates management and governance across sectors and scales.
Pdf the water energy food nexus and climate change. The chemistry connection provides todays scientists with the background information necessary to fully understand the inextricable link between food, energy and water and how this conceptual framework should form the basis for all contemporary research and development in chemistry in particular, and the sciences in. Creating 21st century abundance through public policy innovation he is currently working on. Mar 22, 2017 analysis the waterfoodenergy nexus is the first step to assess the decision maker in developing and evaluating national strategies that take into account the nexus. The water food energy nexus is central to sustainable development. Towards a practical planning and decisionsupport framework for landscape investment and risk management 1 preface the concept that water, energy and food wef securities are interdependentnot easily disentangledis.
Research will contribute to the global aqua21 tool, including a. In this context, the waterenergyfood nexus has emerged as a key concept to. Discussion on the water, energy and food security nexus, the challenges of meeting future demands and maintaining the services provided by the environment was central to the recent bonn2011. Trends in the development of waterenergyfood nexus methods. This paper focuses on a collection of methods that can be used to analyze the water energy food wef nexus. Thus food, water, and energy are inextricably linked and must be considered together as a system. Pdf sustainable planning of the energywaterfood nexus using. This waterfoodenergy nexus looks at the debate on resource scarcity, with new scientific findings that suggested humanity has exceeded the planetary boundaries, threatening its own safety. Apr 01, 2014 the food, energy water nexus is central to the sustainability of south africas future.