Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus

“Water, energy and food are inextricably linked. This is the so-called ‘nexus’. There is growing recognition that a movement is needed away from a sector-by-sector approach to policy, science and practice, towards an approach that considers the interactions between water, food and energy, while taking into account the synergies and trade-offs that arise from the management of these three resources.” (Wageningen Economic Research, 2017)

Wageningen Economic Research. 2017. Water-food-energy nexus. https://edepot.wur.nl/424551.

Related Terms
Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFe) Nexus

Related Content

Article

The use of space-based technology and data for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

The use of space-based technology and data for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Agricultural field and blue skies with some clouds
The article discusses the use of space technology for the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus. The nexus was formed to address issues surrounding the increasing demand for water, energy and food. Drivers of the nexus are, for example, an increasing population, urbanisation and economic development. The article aims to demonstrate the inclusive solutions and initiatives from organisations such as United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Globally available data for the nexus and especially data from satellite remote sensing are discussed. Several case studies for finding solutions related to the nexus are examined. The case studies discuss hydrological modelling, water scarcity, irrigation practices and crop monitoring. The Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model dataset and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument are used in these case studies. Satellite remote sensing products for the example case of the variable soil moisture are examined. Some of the leading missions for soil moisture are National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS). The article mentions NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) missions, as well as ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) programme. Future work aims at an integrated approach and at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
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