A critical analysis of the food–energy–water nexus in the Kootenai River Basin

Abstract

The paper has applied Food–Energy–Water (FEW) nexus in the Kootenai River Basin—a basin located in greater Columbia River Basin shared by Canada and USA—to explore how the institutional, stakeholders, and environmental aspects are represented within the basin. Despite the wide application of FEW nexus, the authors argue that the nexus concept has failed to capture the social dimension such as emotions within the basin. Furthermore, although the FEW nexus is a broader concept encompassing a wide range of actors, the FEW concept was unsuccessful in integrating indigenous and tribal communities into the nexus framework. Finally, the authors assert that FEW nexus should be further explored to incorporate social and environmental dimensions such as the role of various stakeholders, e.g., tribal communities, fishery, and biodiversity, into the nexus framework in the Kootenai River Basin.