Abstract
Bioenergy from cassava is a promising alternative energy source for both energy supply and the mitigation of greenhouse gases. However, major global trends, such as climate change and competing landuse patterns, pose substantial risks to the sustainable development of bioenergy. The main purpose of this study was to assess the sustainable development of bioenergy from cassava, considering landuse change and climate change with a biogeochemical process model within the “water-energy-food” nexus framework. The results showed that the land resources that were suitable for the development of cassava bioenergy have continuously decreased in China since 1990. At the same time, the climate has also undergone significant changes, with temperature showing an increasing trend, and precipitation showing a decreasing trend. With the influences of both landuse change and climate change, the total bioenergy of cassava showed a downward trend. In China, the potential bioenergy production for the year 1990, 2000, and 2010 was 6075 PJ, 5974 PJ, and 4399 PJ, respectively. Compared to 1990, the bioenergy production in 2010 decreased by 1676.40 million GJ, which equals 57 million tons of standard coal. In addition, the water footprint of bioenergy from cassava was discussed. After considering changes to landuse, climate, and water footprint, it was concluded that Guangxi was the most suitable place to develop cassava bioenergy, followed by Fujian, Guangdong, and Yunnan.
Highlights
The increasing global fuel prices, the growing demand for energy, and concerns about global warming are the key factors driving the increased interest in renewable energy sources such as bioenergy [1]
Based on the purpose of this study, we proposed an operational scheme to assess the sustainable development of bioenergy from cassava comprehensively, considering both climate change and landuse change within the “water-energy-food” nexus
After considering landuse change, climate change, and water resource constraints, it was concluded that Guangxi was the most suitable place for the development of cassava bioenergy, followed by Fujian, Guangdong, and Yunnan
Summary
The increasing global fuel prices, the growing demand for energy, and concerns about global warming are the key factors driving the increased interest in renewable energy sources such as bioenergy [1]. All three sectors are dependent on each other, and all are highly interconnected; a phenomenon that is termed the “water-energy-food” nexus [7] These connections intensify as the demand for resources increases with population growth and changing consumption patterns [8,9]. Major global trends, such as climate change and competing landuse patterns, restrict the ability of existing systems to meet growing demands in a reliable and affordable manner. These dynamics pose substantial risks to the sustainable development of bioenergy [10,11]. The development of bioenergy must be sustainable, and must comprehensively consider both climate change and landuse change within the “water-energy-food” nexus
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