Abstract
The call for measuring synergies and trade-offs between water, energy, and food is increasing worldwide. This article presents the development and application of a country-level index that has been calculated for 181 nations using open databases. Following an assessment of 87 water-, energy-, and food-related indicators, 21 were selected to constitute the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Index. In this article, the WEF Nexus Index is utilized to assess the Southern African Development Community, where it demonstrates that food security is an area of concern, while the potential for beneficially exploiting water resources and energy projects exists in several countries. Water for agriculture could be achieved through the drought-proofing of rainfed agriculture and systematic irrigation development, with energy as the critical enabler. Neither the composite indicator nor the WEF nexus approach is the panacea that will solve all the significant development or environmental challenges facing humanity. However, they could contribute to integrated resource management and policy-making and are complementary to the Sustainable Development Goals. In this study, the methodology set out by the Joint Research Centre's Competence Center on Composite Indicators and Scoreboards has been followed. A set of visualizations associated with the WEF Nexus Index have been compiled in an interactive website, namely www.wefnexusindex.org.
Highlights
The global demand for resources such as water, energy and food is expected to escalate dramatically in the forthcoming decades (Beddington, 2009; World Economic Forum, 2011; National Intelligence Council, 2012; WWF and SABMiller, 2014)
4% of all energy generated is utilized for the abstraction, conveyance and treatment of water (WWAP, 2020), while total industrial withdrawals account for 16% of today’s global water demand (World Economic Forum, 2011)
An in-depth analysis of the WEF Nexus Index is presented for the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Summary
The global demand for resources such as water, energy and food is expected to escalate dramatically in the forthcoming decades (Beddington, 2009; World Economic Forum, 2011; National Intelligence Council, 2012; WWF and SABMiller, 2014). This disparity has resulted in global efforts to support initiatives to achieve resource securities for the “bottom billion,” which is that portion of the “world’s population living on
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
