Editorial: (10 years) Water-Energy-Food nexus: Towards knowledge synthesis, action prioritization and revitalization of security debates

Abstract

The Water-Energy-Food nexus (WEF nexus) has emerged as a colossal environmental debate on how to improve the sustainability and resilience of resource systems. This debate has been inclusive of different disciplines and methodological approaches that have improved our understanding of the tight interconnectedness between the resource systems, and have highlighted the need for great coordination across the respective sectors. Following a decade of growing global attention toward WEF nexus-related challenges and opportunities, particularly after the Bonn Conference and World Economic Forum in 2011, the resulting body of academic literature has coined an area of study that mainly relies on decision support tools, models, simulations, stakeholder engagement, and policy analyses for guiding integrative resource planning, governance and policy-making across the WEF sectors. However, 10 years is a short period in the lifespan of a useful paradigm for sustainability, resource security or integrated management-as the WEF nexus is often understood to be. One can expect the WEF nexus to continue motivating a fruitful knowledge production, resulting in innovative perspectives that will arguably have wider implications for our understanding of resource security as well as the global sustainability agenda.

This Special Topic invited scientists and experts to provide contributions that synthesize key lessons learned from the WEF nexus literature, expand current knowledge through innovative, cross-cutting approaches, present salient cases or provide policy-relevant reviews. The resulting set of seven highly interesting articles can be introduced in the following three subsets: (1) reviews of the WEF nexus interim insights; (2) examples of emerging topics; (3) policy-relevant integrated frameworks.