Energy Water Nexus and Its Implications in Urban Sectors

Abstract

Rapid industrial development and urbanization have raised serious concerns. Energy and water resources both are considered main factors influencing sustainable urban growth and hence resource accounting and tracing are drawing increase attention. In the current study, we proposed an energy-water nexus accounting framework for Shanghai (referred to year 2010) based on environmentally extended multi-regional input output (EE-MRIO) analysis. The energy and water flows were traced from source to destination from a production-based and consumption-based perspective. Electricity, Others and Transport are the largest sectors which consumes about 89.40% of production based energy flows whereas Electricity, Services and Construction consumes about 79.16% of consumption-based energy flows of the total flow. In the case of water, Electricity, Agriculture and Construction are the largest sectors and consumes about 96.62% of production based water flows whereas Electricity, Construction and Services consumes about 78.78% of consumption based water flows of the total flow. Urban sectoral energy water nexus can offer discrete ways to tackle growing environmental challenges. This research can present a reference to decision makers in identifying specific sectors that requires policy interventions in easing environmental stress to accomplish sustainability and balance the tradeoff. Additionally, collaboration and regulation of urban industrial structure is needed.