PrintRequired Reading:
Leck, H., Conway, D., Bradshaw, M., & Rees, J. (2015). Tracing the water–energy–food nexus: description, theory and practice. Geography Compass, 9(8), 445-460.
Leck et al. 2015: The authors examine reasons for the increase in research focused around the nexus of water, energy, and food (WEF). In so doing, they investigate why it would be difficult to achieve the type of disciplinary boundary that is typically promoted in scholastic research and consider how to initiate many of the present theories and practices that have yet to be applied in the real world. Leck et al. (2015) indicate that there are although the nexus approach has been around prior to this increase, it has been challenging to encompass the interdependent WEF relationships and thus limiting its execution and progress at all scales of implementation. The future of nexus approaches to address global environmental change is promising should the movement be able to overcome previous hurdles. As advancements in technology to learn more of the linkages of WEF at varied scales as well as promoting collaboration between state and non-state entities continues, these hurdles will become more manageable.
"Identifying winners and losers in WEF nexus decision-making and giving explicit attention to justice and equity concerns are central for nexus agendas to be socially progressive (Dupar and Oates 2012; Stringer et al. 2014)."
"As Allouche et al. (2014: 23) explain, ‘food, water and energy have never been conceptually separated in the way that experts have sought to understand them. Indeed, it may be that the WEF nexus is the (re)discovery by experts working in silos of what practicing farmers and fishers already knew’."
"...scalar considerations are central to the nexus because water, energy or food interventions are not necessarily suitable or effective at all scales."
Stein, C., & Jaspersen, L. J. (2018). A relational framework for investigating nexus governance. The Geographical Journal (online first).
This paper provides a case study of what the study of the Food-Energy-Water Nexus looks like in real life: here in the upper Blue Nile watershed in Ethiopia. The paper tries to move from the abstract idea of the nexus to examine the collaboration and cross-sector coordination needed to achieve integrated management of Food, Energy, and Water production. As you read this paper, try to link back to your reading on governance in past weeks; what similarities and differences do you note?
Campbell, B. M., Beare, D. J., Bennett, E. M., Hall-Spencer, J. M., Ingram, J. S. I., Jaramillo, F., . . . Shindell, D. (2017). Agriculture production as a major driver of the Earth system exceeding planetary boundaries. Ecology and Society, 22(4).
Campbell et al. 2017: The authors listed are prominent environmental activists and faculty members and leaders of university programs from around the world. Through their collective knowledge, they identify nine major boundaries to maintain a stable Earth system. The authors have calculated how much of the change in each of the planetary boundaries (which you read about in past weeks) is associated with agriculture. For each, they have calculated what % of the anthropogenic activity contributing to each boundary is due to agriculture. The results may surprise you! The article also identifies current agriculture practices and production are the leading causes of many overstepped and/or increasingly hazardous boundaries of our planet. Possible ideas are posed for how to lessen the negative impacts on these planetary boundaries with more sustainable forms of agriculture.
NOTE: Links to the readings are located in the Week 6 module in Canvas.