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Towards a common understanding of Water-Energy-Food Nexus research: A Delphi study amongst scholars in the international nexus community
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences.
2023 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

The Water-Energy-Food nexus recognises that resource systems have complex interactions that should no longer be managed or governed in silos. Applying a nexus lens can increase efficiency, reduce trade-offs, and build synergies that can help tackle future pressures caused by increasing demands and climate threats. However, this is a relatively new field of research, and though it has received much attention in research and policy, it is also subject to many perspectives and interpretations. The nexus concept lacks a common definition or framework, and some scholars have made calls to include other components than water, energy, and food, such as for example ecosystems or waste. In order to advance nexus research, a clearer understanding of the main aspects of nexus research is needed. This thesis aims at mapping out how the nexus research community views the main aspects, such as definition, aims and approaches, of the nexus. It applies the Delphi technique and utilises the expertise of 70 scholars of nexus research based in Europe and beyond. The thesis finds that while there has been a presumption that the nexus is mainly concerned with resource use efficiency and sectoral securities, most of the components that are deemed important to include in nexus research can be found in aspects of ecosystems and policy areas. Most nexus scholars consider the nexus to be a mix of resources, sectors, policy areas and ecosystems, and overall, the nexus approach seems to have moved away from being strictly about resources, and towards governance and policies of ecosystems and ecosystem services. The nexus research community has a large number of natural science tools at their disposal for producing knowledge about the current and target systems, however, there are less tools available that can outline the pathways that allow for transformation from the current to the desired state. If nexus scholars are to address the components that it deems are the most important, the methodology needs to better reflect the importance placed on governance and policy, particularly in relation to ecosystems.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023. , p. 74
Series
Examensarbete vid Institutionen för geovetenskaper, ISSN 1650-6553 ; 2023/29
Keywords [en]
Delphi technique, nexus, research, Sustainable Development, Water-Energy-Food
National Category
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-504481OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-504481DiVA, id: diva2:1767147
Educational program
Master Programme in Sustainable Development
Presentation
2023-05-26, Geocentrum, Villavägen 16, Uppsala, 11:45 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2023-06-14 Created: 2023-06-13 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved

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