Agriculture is the largest consumer of the worlds freshwater resources, and more than onequarter of the energy used. Water, food and energy nexus in asia and the pacific. A blue print for more sustainable urban systems the third nsf efriresin workshop champaign, il, november 1718, 2011. The water and energy sectors of an economy are inextricably linked.
This program, sponsored by california environmental protection agency and administered by the climate registry, is the firstever voluntary registry for greenhouse gas ghg emissions from the water energy nexus. Simonovic department of civil and environmental engineering the university of western ontario. Position paper on water, energy, food and ecosystems wefe. Renewable energy in the water, energy and food nexus irena. The water food energy climate nexus and as a background paper to a major conference on the nexus in bonn 2011 called understanding the nexus. Water, food and energy nexus challenges 6 impact on energy the food sector currently accounts for around 30% of the worlds total energy consumption. A clean energy future means water security in texas. The water food energy nexus is central to sustainable development. Providing water and energy services has important environmental impacts. Water is essential for all phases of energy production, from fossil fuels to biofuels and power generation.
Consider how and where all three are used in the us as events like droughts, oil spills and fluctuating food prices make clear, the us cannot view these systems in isolation. There is no formal definition for the waterenergy nexus the concept refers to the relationship between the water used for energy production, including both electricity and sources of fuel such as oil and natural gas, and the energy consumed to extract, purify, deliver, heatcool, treat and dispose of water and wastewater sometimes referred to as the energy intensity ei. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the worlds freshwater resources, and more than onequarter of the energy used globally is expended on food. The waterenergy nexus among the energy issues from 2010 to 2018 red arrows world energy council 2019b water energy nexus in europe 11 increasing the. Water is essential for all phases of energy production, from fossil fuels to biofuels and power plants. Waterenergy nexus an overview sciencedirect topics. The ious currently offer many incentive programs in the areas of energy efficiency, demand response, and distributed generation related to the water. Pdf on sep 7, 2017, jiangyu dai and others published waterenergy nexus. Energy is required in water production, distribution, and recycling, while water is often used for energy generation.
University of pennsylvania wharton school and the institute for global environmental leadership workshop. As figure 1 illustrates, a multitude of factors work to drive demand for food, water and energyincluding changes in. The nexus describes the interconnections and interdependencies between the water, energy and food wef sectors. Pdf energy and water are key instruments for agricultural production and their interlinkages pose significant management challenges. The energy water food nexus concept should be an integrated part of future policy making and decisions in the energy, water and food sectors. The waterenergyfood nexus reports, articles, research. Section 3 outlines the methods used in the paper and.
The connection between the systems is known as the waterenergyfood nexus. The nexus approach aims to identify tradeoffs and synergies of water, energy, and food systems, internalize social and environmental impacts, and guide development of cross. Amount of energy needed to supply, use, and treat water is locationspecific and can be reduced by certain technologies and approaches. The methods for interdisciplinary research approaches can be used to unify a collection of related variables, visualize the research problem, evaluate. The waterfoodenergy nexus is central to sustainable development. This paper focuses on a collection of methods that can be used to analyze the water energy food wef nexus. Methodologies for managing the energywaterfood nexus at. The earth sciences have been a cornerstone in developing our current understanding of the waterenergy nexus. This interconnectivity is illustrated by figure 6, a hybrid. Activities in one sector may influence or even constrain economic growth in the others. The emergence of waterenergyfood nexus water, energy and food are the key prerequisites for our existence, there is no life without them. We classify these methods as qualitative or quantitative for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches. Section 2 of the paper provides a general overview of the water energy nexus in china, focusing on the relationships between energy use and water quantity and quality.
The course highlights the relationships between human activities e. Water is a vital resource in the development of energy resources and access to energy. Waterenergy nexus in the peoples republic of china and. A systems approach to modelling waterenergy food nexus slobodan p. This waterfoodenergy nexus looks at the debate on resource scarcity, with new. There are numerous ways in which the three strands of water, energy and food overlap. Participation in the water energy nexus registry is now open to organizations with operations in california. Of all natural resources, energy, water and food are most needed to sustain life on earth.
The earth sciences have been a cornerstone in developing our current understanding of the water energy nexus. The water, energy and food security nexus according to the food and agriculture organisation of the united nations fao, means that water security, energy security and food security are very much linked to one another, meaning that the actions in any one particular area often can have effects in one or both of the other areas. A joint program of stanford woods institute for the environment. This water food energy nexus looks at the debate on resource scarcity, with new scientific findings that suggested humanity has exceeded the planetary boundaries, threatening its own safety.
Water energy nexus executive summary energy needs water, water needs energy. Water, energy, land use, transportation and socioeconomic nexus. The waterenergyfood wef nexus is rapidly expanding in scholarly literature and policy settings as. Mohtar qatar environment and energy research institute, qatar foundation, doha, qatar and department of agricultural and biological engineering, purdue university, west lafayette. Position paper on water, energy, food and ecosystems. Appropriate legal nexus instruments and frame works for transboundary policy making and decisions. They are also closely linked with water acting commonly as an enabler and in the areas of water. This background paper for the bonn2011conference on the water, energy and food security nexus explains the nexus and presents initial evidence for how a nexus approach can enhance water, energy and food security. The blueprint outlines eight ways to advance our understanding of the energywater nexus and consequently change the way energy and water are managed see the box below. In many geographical locations, the energy water nexus is exacerbated by the shortage of both fresh water resources and energy generation infrastructure. To quantify the water and energy portfolios associated with a communitys water.
Nexus water, energy and food are three vital components for sustainable development. Important early publications includes a world economic forum report entitled water security. Various criticisms levelled at the wef nexus, such as the neglect of. The publication was prepared based on valuable information. Challenges and an agenda for action edited by felix dodds and jamie bartram. Nanomaterials for the waterenergy nexus mrs bulletin. This waterfoodenergy nexus looks at the debate on resource scarcity, with new scientific findings that suggested humanity has exceeded the planetary boundaries, threatening its own safety.
Ecopeace middle east konradadenauerstiftung, 2017, a pre water energy nexus. Water, energy and food wef resources are interconnected systems that directly and indirectly affect one another. Waterenergy nexus in the peoples republic of china and emerging issues was prepared by pradeep perera of east asia department of the asian development bank under the guidance of ashok bhargava, director, energy division, east asia department, adb. Inaccuracies in media reports are common because of gaps in understanding of the dynamics of the interaction between water and energy. Global projections indicate that demand for freshwater, energy and food will increase significantly over. A clean energy future means water security in texas the energywater nexus as texas population increases and climate change persists, meeting the states water needs is becoming more and more difficult. The energy water food nexus concept should be applied on all levels from local to global.
Energy nexus in europe, publications office of the european union, luxembourg, 2019. Since the early 2000s, sandia has been addressing the security challenges associated with growing limitations on water availability. The lack or shortage of available water can limit energy production, and the alternate relationship. By 2030, demand for food, water and energy will have increased by 35, 40 and 50 percent, respectively. A new approach in support of food security and sustainable agriculture. Water energy nexus water energy nexus of chinas recent energy development strategy. Water is a vital resource in the development of energy resources and access to energy is a. Oct 02, 2018 this background paper for the bonn2011conference on the water, energy and food security nexus explains the nexus and presents initial evidence for how a nexus approach can enhance water, energy and food security. The water energy food nexus perspective as a conceptual framework is highly. The waterenergyfood nexus food and agriculture organization. The water energy nexus in utah page 1 the water energy nexus in utah meeting the water and energy challenge 1 introduction water and energy are two inextricably linked resources. The landwaterenergy nexus biophysical and economic.
New perspectives on the waterenergy food nexus forum background note water, food and energy security are crucial for sustainable longterm economic growth and human wellbeing and there are strong linkages between all three. The water energy nexus in utah 2012 meeting the water and energy challenge september 2012 utah division of water resources 1594 west north temple, suite 310p. In its 20 report global trends 2030, the us national intelligence council described the interconnected risks in water, energy and food supply security as a megatrend that will gain global momentum in the near future. Demand for all three is increasing, driven by a rising global population, rapid urbanization, changing diets and economic growth.
Department of energy, in collaboration with other agencies, to address energy related the water energy nexus in a world of limited resources, water and energy are inextricably linked coast of texas, taking 20 percent of water systems in the galveston. Oct 02, 2018 food and energy are equally dependent upon each other. Pdf examining the water energy food nexus in jordan. Nearly all electricity generation technologies depend on water in one way or another, and there is a growing understanding of the close relation between water and energy.
However, information about the water energy nexus is often fragmented, weak and incomplete, difficult to compare, and filled with jargon. Since 2008, concerns about the wef nexus have motivated many discussions regarding new approaches for managing water, energy and foodland resources. Understanding the inextricable linkages among water, energy, and environment the water energy environment nexus will be a priority for all levels of government in the decades ahead as they develop and implement policies to enhance human welfare. Each has the potential to limit the development of the other. Understanding the waterenergyfood nexus in a warming. While many federal agencies are engaged in the water energy nexus, the u. Energyecosystems nexus under water convention, and in particular the. Food and agriculture organization of the united nations. Also known as the energywater nexus, energy choices have a vital role to play in protecting water supplies.
Challenges in operationalizing the waterenergyfood nexus. Water, energy, and environment a primer ebooks gateway. One of the states largest end uses of electricity is in the treatment, heating, and conveyance of water in california. Water and energy resources are interrelated but their influence on each other is rarely considered. Gathering better data to address the blueprints second elementbetter understanding. The water energy food wef nexus is rapidly expanding in scholarly literature and policy settings as a novel way to address complex resource and development challenges. The waterenergyfood nexus and the transboundary context. Look at the resource scarcity through a water energy food nexus lens. United states government accountability office accountability.
The energywater nexus interlinked resources that are vital for economic growth and sustainability an energy 2020 white paper may 2014 u. These interdependencies of the wef securities have received growing attention in the past years by academia and policymakers. The connection between the systems is known as the water energy food nexus. On a national level, water and wastewater energy con sumption accounts for as much as 4 percent of all the electricity produced on an annual basis. Position paper on water, energy, food and ecosystems wefe nexus and sustainable development goals sdgs 12 2.
The interaction of these factors is commonly referred to as the water. Anund killingtveit, in managing global warming, 2019. Understanding and managing the complex interactions between water, energy and food water, energy and food are essential for human wellbeing, poverty reduction and sustainable development. Pdf understanding and managing the waterenergy nexus. Iea analysis found that today, the energy sector withdrawals around 340 billion cubic metres bcm of water the volume of water removed from a source and consumes roughly 50 bcm the volume of water withdrawn but not returned to the source. The water energy food nexus perspective as a conceptual framework is highly relevant to model and analyse wef sectors holistically. The water food energy nexus is an approach to consider the interactions between water, food and energy, while taking into account the synergies and tradeoffs that arise from the management of these three resources, and potential areas of conflict. Of all natural resources, energy, water and food are most needed to sustain. Thus, we recommend that the state increase efforts to collect accurate data on the withdrawal and consumption of cooling and process water at power plants, as well as data on electricity.