Feb 20, 20 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. The global energy water food nexus recognises that, in natural resource policy, no effort aimed at conservation, sustainability, or environmental protection will. Water, energy, food nexus thinking explained youtube. Unless all three elements of the system are in balance, communities cannot flourish. One initiative has been the waterenergyfood security nexus developed in bonn by. 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.
Trends in the development of waterenergyfood nexus methods. 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. Dr hayes is the project manager for the international water security network and is leading a work package investigating the waterenergyfood nexus. Pdf examining the water energy food nexus in jordan. The first challenge in dealing with the waterenergyfood nexus is to understand it. The food energy water nexus water, as well as the treatment of wastewater, are energy intensive processes. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make. Methodologies for managing the energywaterfood nexus at. Overcoming food security challenges within an energywater. Apr 23, 2020 this article was originally published on the iucn website and has been republished here with their friendly permission. Within the project, the list of evs for food water energy nexus approach was created and described in deliverable 6. 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. Dr hayes is the project manager for the international water security network and is leading a work package investigating the water energy food nexus.
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. In this study, we investigate three opensource models for their potential application as part of a nexus framework. Global trends of population growth, rising living standards and the rapidly increasing urbanized world are increasing the demand on water, food and energy. 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. Look at the resource scarcity through a water energy food nexus lens. 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. In the coming decades, this relationship, known as the energy water food nexus will come under great pressure and is appearing on. Energywaterfood stress nexus 21st century challenges. Position paper on the status of the water food energy nexus in. The past few years have seen increasing awareness of energywaterfood nexus challenges, as marked by the growth in publications shown in figure 6. It deals with the question of how the water energy food wef nexus can support an expansion of development possibilities in times of increasing competition over water, energy and food resources. Challenges and opportunities that frames an integrated challenge and opportunity space around the waterenergy nexus for the department and its partners, laying the foundation for future efforts when severe drought affected more than a third of the united states in 2012, limited water.
The water energy food nexus concept recognizes the complex interdependencies between the named sectors and seeks to analyse them as a single system to promote resource sustainability and effective governance. Water food energy nexus the fao perspective by lewis hove food and agriculture organization of the united nationsfao, south africa water energy food nexus. 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. Global projections indicate that demand for freshwater, energy and food will increase significantly over. Water, energy and food pillars of global security, prosperity and equity perspectives water perspective food and energy.
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. Considering the energy, water, and food security nexus. Tools for analyzing the waterfoodenergyecosystems nexus. The food energy water nexus in south africa youtube. Dynamics of waterenergyfood nexus methodology, methods. Acknowledging this, we outlined three promising areas for further exploration. This publication underpins discussions of the high level panel on the water, food and energy nexus held during the 6th world water forum in marseille on 16 march 2012.
It deals with the question of how the waterenergyfood wef nexus can support an expansion of development possibilities in times of increasing competition over water, energy and food resources. However, as the quantity of available fresh water and energy sources directly affecting cost of food production and transportation diminishes, technological. Water, food and energy nexus challenges 6 impact on energy the food sector currently accounts for around 30% of the worlds total energy consumption. 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. The water research commission wrc of south africa has identified the wef nexus as one of its focus lighthouse areas of research. Renewable energy in the water, energy and food nexus. The waterenergyfood nexus reports, articles, research. Informing nexus security open a new path towards a new way of managing the waterenergyfood nexus in which researchers and decision makers work together in search of development strategies and alternative policy options research project funded by the eu under the h2020water2015 call ga 689669 duration.
The energy water food nexus concept should be an integrated part of future policy making and decisions in the energy, water and food sectors. Trends in the development of water energy food nexus methods tamee albrecht1,2, arica crootof1,2 and christopher scott1,2 1school of geography and development, university of arizona, tucson, az 2udall center for studies in public policy, university of arizona, tucson, az although a novel way to address complex crosssectoral. Failure to consider the nexus of water, energy, and food in resource assessments and policy making has led to contradictory strategies and inef. The availability of fresh water is a major driver in food production. Framing the waterenergyfood nexus within the broader sustainability debate 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. The waterenergyfood nexus is about understanding and managing these oftencompeting interests while also ensuring the integrity of ecosystems. Insights for the business community e nergy, water, and food ewf are connected to the inputs and outputs of every business.
A systems approach to modelling waterenergyfood nexus slobodan p. The past few years have seen increasing awareness of energy water food nexus challenges, as marked by the growth in publications shown in figure 6. The relationship between energy, water, and food is at once both obvious and complex. The department of energy s water energy tech team has prepared a new report the waterenergy nexus.
Nexus platform the waterenergyfood nexus nexus the. This article was originally published on the iucn website and has been republished here with their friendly permission. The connection between the systems is known as the water energy food nexus. Managing key resources for sustainable development 41. The water food energy nexus is emerging as a critical issue in asia and the pacific. Evaluations of food, energy and water few linkages are rapidly emerging in contemporary nexus studies. In the manufacturing sector, energy and water are used to power, cool, and clean machines, mix materials, and in production processes. The water energy food wef nexus is gaining recognition internationally as an intersectoral approach to resource management and sustainable development. Masters thesis submitted for inspection for the degree of master of science in technology. Activities in one sector may influence or even constrain economic growth in the others. Water is needed to extract energy and generate power. You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.
If it is a water perspective, then food and energy systems are users of the resource see hellegers, et al. Towards a practical planning and decisionsupport framework for landscape investment and risk management 4 motives and drivers to integrate wef in the literature, a number of authors emphasize that the worlds food, water and energy resources are already. 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. Food, energy, and water national science foundation. 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. 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 ofid pamphlet series was begun in 1977, a year after the establishment of ofid. In this animation we discuss what the water energy food nexus is, why it could be seen as important to the future of our cities due to the interlinked nature of these critical services, and the. Assessing the state of the waterenergyfood wef nexus. 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. For instance, largescale hydraulic infrastructure projects such as snwd or any other. Food energy water nexus 3 the food energy water nexus initiative at monash university there is widespread agreement in the global community that the conventional delivery of food, energy and water services has been resourcenegligent, posing significant challenges for sustainable development.
Subject pages or overlays are like filtered subject journals helping you discover your community within the wider multidisciplinary peerj venues. Population growth, economic development, increased energy and food needs all exert increasing pressures on natural resources. In this regard, emerging crosssectoral approaches such as the water energy food wef nexus could be useful. Nexus approaches to global sustainable development this paper proposes a systematic procedure to explicitly quantify the contributions of nexus approaches to progress toward meeting the sustainable development goals and provides perspectives on future directions. 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. 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. Simonovic department of civil and environmental engineering the university of western ontario. Demand for all three is increasing, driven by a rising global population, rapid urbanization, changing diets and economic growth. Keywords water energy food nexus index productivity consumption introduction the worlds food, water and energy resources are nowadays experiencing signi. Finally, both energy and food production can significantly affect the quality of water bodies. From silos to nexus water security, energy security, and food security are intimately linked. Currently, 844 million people lack access to safe drinking water who, 2017. Managing key resources for sustainable development.
Of all natural resources, energy, water and food are most needed to sustain life on earth. The worlds population is expected to grow from the current 7 billion to perhaps 9. 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. Jan 22, 2017 africa needs to manage food, water and energy in a way that connects all three. Africa needs to manage food, water and energy in a way that. The food energy water nexus understanding south africas. The application of an energy, water and food nexus ewfn approach, which takes into account the interactions and connections between these three resources. Processes, technologies, and challenges crc press book exponential growth of the worldwide population requires increasing amounts of water, food, and energy. This paper demonstrates, from a food consumption perspective, the potential of life cycle thinking in understanding the complex and often hidden linkages between few systems. In order to do this three main pathways have been identified. This paper briefly considered the energy, water and food nexus, primarily from a developing country perspective. Tools for analyzing the waterfoodenergy ecosystems nexus. The approach to the energy, water, and food efw nexus normally depends on the perspective of the policymaker.
This interconnectivity is illustrated by figure 6, a hybrid. The energy water food nexus concept should be applied on all levels from local to global. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the worlds freshwater resources, and more than onequarter of the energy used globally is expended on food. It is clear that the area under consideration is vast, and that one short paper cannot hope to address the plethora of interactions and impacts in any detail. Appropriate legal nexus instruments and frame works for transboundary policy making and decisions. Added to this is the growing threat of climate change which will have huge impacts on water and food availability. Challenges and opportunities in applying the waterenergyfood nexus. This research article analyzes the ecological balance of human activities in rwanda and how policymakers have increasingly emphasized on energywaterfood nexus sectors separately without integrating land usage and population growth, which might pose an even more critical situation if left unattended to. Water food energy security nexus in asia and the pacific region a position paper commissioned by the united nations economic and social commission for asia and the pacific. Climate change adaptation through the waterenergyfood. The water food energy nexus is central to sustainable development. Systems dynamics model approach to waterenergyfood nexus. Apr 01, 2014 the food, energy water nexus is central to the sustainability of south africas future.
Towards efficient national planning, broederstroom, hartbeespoort, southafrica. Food energy water nexus 3 the foodenergywater nexus initiative at monash university there is widespread agreement in the global community that the conventional delivery of food, energy and water services has been resourcenegligent, posing significant challenges for sustainable development. Water food energy ecosystems nexus reconciling different resource uses in transboundary basins exus ded. The series is meant to promote a better understanding of the aspirations. Pdf developing food, water and energy nexus workflows. The worlds water, energy and food systems are tightly linked. Thus food, water, and energy are inextricably linked and must be considered together as a system. 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. Food and energy are equally dependent upon each other. The global demand for water, energy and food is driven by rapid population increase, urbanization, and climate change and it is estimated to increase by over 50% by 2050, compared with the 2015 level ferroukhi et al. As part of iwas water wikis recent hot topic on the waterenergyfood nexus, this paper explored system dynamics modeling as an effective way to approach challenges in the waterenergyfood nexus.