The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Climate Risks and Opportunities in Southern Africa

Luxon Nhamo,Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi,Sylvester Mpandeli,Charles Nhemachena,Greenwell Matchaya,Bekithemba Ndlela

doi:10.3390/w10050567

Abstract

The discourse on the need for water, energy, and food security has dominated the development agenda of southern African countries, centred on improving livelihoods, building resilience, and regional integration. About 60% of the population in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) live in rural areas relying mainly on rainfed agriculture, lacking access to clean water and energy, yet the region is endowed with vast natural resources. The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is a conceptual framework that presents opportunities for greater resource coordination, management, and policy convergence across sectors. This is particularly relevant in the SADC region as resources are transboundary and supports efforts linked to regional integration and inclusive socio-economic development and security. We conducted an appraisal of WEF-related policies and institutions in SADC and identified linkages among them. The present ‘silo’ approach in resource management and allocation, often conducted at the national level, contributes to the region’s failure to meet its development targets, exacerbating its vulnerabilities. The lack of coordination of WEF nexus synergies and trade-offs in planning often threatens the sustainability of development initiatives. We highlighted the importance of the WEF nexus to sustainably address the sectoral coordination of resources through harmonised institutions and policies, as well as setting targets and indicators to direct and monitor nexus developments. We illustrate the significance of the nexus in promoting inclusive development and transforming vulnerable communities into resilient societies. The study recommends a set of integrated assessment models to monitor and evaluate the implementation of WEF nexus targets. Going forward, we propose the adoption of a regional WEF nexus framework.

Highlights

Water, energy, and food are vital for human wellbeing, poverty reduction, and sustainable development
We further propose a regional nexus framework for implementing the WEF nexus, as well as possible tools for monitoring and evaluating WEF nexus implementation
There is still more that can be done on the optimal use of resources and to increase productivity to meet the demands of a growing population in southern Africa

Summary

Introduction

Energy, and food are vital for human wellbeing, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. Any impact on one affects the other two These interconnections are described as the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus [3,5], Water 2018, 10, 567; doi:10.3390/w10050567 www.mdpi.com/journal/water. The WEF nexus is, a framework that captures the inter-relations, synergies and trade-offs between the demand on water, energy, and food in the context of threats, and emerging constraints of sustainable development in particular regions or systems [7,10]. It has grown to be an essential approach to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty alleviation, zero hunger, provision of water and sanitation, and access to affordable and reliable energy (Goals 1, 2, 6, and 7, respectively) [4]

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