The water-energy-food nexus, its relationship with ecosystems, and its role in supporting society

Abstract

The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus concept has emerged over the last decade as a way of thinking about and analysing natural resources. Each WEF sector has intimate feedback relationships with the other sectors, forming a coherent, complex system. Through analysis of these relationships and of the impact of policy on the system, more integrated and sustainable resources management is aimed for. The nexus concept is not without criticism, and a concern is that one sector would come to be seen as ‘more important’ than the others. This paper attempts to break such ideas, describing how each WEF sector is equally essential for the functioning of the other two, and that the WEF nexus is more than the sum of its parts. Going further, the paper shows how the WEF nexus is supported/enabled by ‘ecosystems’. Without good ecosystems functioning, the WEF sectors could be compromised with significant consequences. At the same time, ecosystems are degraded by WEF demand and exploitation. Society depends upon ecosystems and the proper quantity, quality, timing, and spatial availability of WEF resources. Societal demand impacts on WEF resources availability and security, and on ecosystems integrity. The paper concludes by stating that the integrity of this WEF-ecosystems system is under significant threat as planetary boundaries are exceeded, ecological overexploitation is accelerating, and global warming impacts become acute. Nothing short of a wholesale societal behavioural and conceptual shift towards WEF sectors, their use, exploitation, and management is required, and that a systems-thinking mentality is central to such a shift.