Water Energy Food Nexus Analysis and Management Tools: A Review

David Borge-Diez,Enrique Rosales-Asensio,Francisco José García-Moya

doi:10.3390/en15031146

David Borge-Diez, Enrique Rosales-Asensio + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031146

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Abstract

In order to eradicate water–energy–food poverty, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) proposed milestones to overcome the feeding problem. The development of water–energy–food (WEF) nexus management tools, and approaches has increased during last years. The aim of this research is to review WEF nexus management methods, tools, and examples to identify gaps, goals, or future development that arise when modelling goods management issues for designing a sustainable development framework. It is also presented the food–biofuel competition for resources problem focusing in threatened systems. In addition to the resource trade-off quantification issue, it proposed an analysis for WEF systems management from economic, environmental, and practical points of view with the aim of identifying results, challenges, gaps, or assumptions for nexus. The renewable energy highlights as an enabler for sustainable development.

Highlights

Water Energy Food Nexus AnalysisIt is a fact that human activity induces negative effects on the environment
At the technological level it is mandatory to assess the performance of the innovations thatAt increase the sustainable operation of WEF systems
Thethe system analysis with the technological level it is mandatory to assess performance of the innovatools depicts the interactions to be further developed for increasing synergies. These must tions that increase the sustainable operation of WEF systems

Summary

Introduction

Water Energy Food Nexus AnalysisIt is a fact that human activity induces negative effects on the environment. Energy generation, and others that generate GHG (Green House Gas) emissions [1], joint to increasing needs on developing countries, provokes increasing climate change impacts. Over recent decades, increasing world population has led to an increase in requirement of global food production [2]. Anthropogenic climate change provokes among others impacts that precipitation events become more intense and frequent. From an environmental and economic point of view, increasing food production has repercussions in other sectors, mainly with the energy and water sectors, and either agriculture and livestock farming. Even if human-related GHG emissions stop, climate change impacts will continue. Rising warming rates and magnitudes accompanied by ocean acidification, increase the risk of severe, pervasive, and in some cases, irreversible detrimental impacts

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