Groundwater Nexus

The Nexus between water-, energy-, and food security

As there is limited access to water, sanitation, food and energy (often due to poor management and governance structures), a rapidly growing population will put even more stress on the availability and the sustainability of the planet’s resources. The systems that help produce and bring fresh food and energy as well as clean, abundant water to all of us, are intertwined. It takes water to create food and energy, it takes energy to move and treat water and to produce food, and bio energy resources are in concurrence to food resources.

These systems have become increasingly complex and dependent upon one another as the resources come under increasing pressure. As a result, a disturbance in one system can wreak havoc in the others, so it is important to achieve a sustainable balance between the three. Therefore, it is important to realize the interdependency in these sectors to avoid the growing trade-offs between these development-goals.

When groundwater resources are accessed to provide for irrigation demand, the nexus between water-, energy and food security is evident. There will be an energy demand to lift the water to the surface and to distribute it to the crop. Energy access and price are strong drivers for groundwater abstraction. Several countries around the world have subsidized diesel or electricity for the agricultural sector to secure farmer’s incomes and national food sovereignty. Such subsidy incentives tend to lead to an expansion of the area on which water intensive crops are cultivated with water inefficient technologies that finally result in the depletion of groundwater. Especially in many arid countries where groundwater resources are non-renewable this is a particular problem. Such depletion also has vast implications for the energy sector which looses income and can´t invest in modern infrastructure.

However, integrating the interdependencies between energy-, food- and water security in national policies and programs have the potential to improve the economy, conserve natural resources, and increase food security.

The Water, Energy & Food Security - Resource Platform - NEXUS