Water, Food, and Energy Nexus

Food security-focused interventions had implications for the energy sector and for water related issues. Water management-focused improvements impacted on food and energy-related goals. The broader nexus emerges from focussing on the interactions of the water, food, and energy nexus and a particular sustainable development goal (SDG) or development indicator. Energy-related biomass production is important application domain for the nexus. Trade-offs and synergies between hydropower, fish, and water establish one of the most discussed nexus examples. The endorsement of the UN SDGs introduces an operational set of indicators that governments have started implementing. The chapter provides some detail on agent-based modelling as a promising assessment method for the nexus. Nexus-type assessments identified and confirmed a few important cause–effect patterns critical for sustainable development, including sustainable water and basin management. The improved management of the water, food, and energy nexus requires two main pillars, improved evidence and improved governance.