Water-energy nexus: matching sources and uses

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly clear that the issues of water and energy are inextricable with energy production becoming an increasingly large water consumer, and water being both a potential sink and source for energy. A complicating factor is the long-term impact of continued use of fossil fuel exacerbating global warming with attendant impact on water supplies. At the same time, the location of population relative to water and energy sources suggests that there is a need to choose those technologies for energy and water production, which produce an appropriate match between sources and population. These ideas are developed with respect to coastal populations.