AUTHOR=Akinsete Ebun , Koundouri Phoebe , Kartala Xanthi , Englezos Nikos , Lautze Jonathan , Yihdego Zeray , Gibson Julie , Scholz Geeske , van Bers Caroline , Sodoge Jan TITLE=Sustainable WEF Nexus Management: A Conceptual Framework to Integrate Models of Social, Economic, Policy, and Institutional Developments JOURNAL=Frontiers in Water VOLUME=4 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/water/articles/10.3389/frwa.2022.727772 DOI=10.3389/frwa.2022.727772 ISSN=2624-9375 ABSTRACT=

Rapid population growth along with increased rates of economic growth around the globe are placing valuable natural resources, water in particular, under unprecedented stress; this in turn drives the pursuit of innovative tools to support integrated Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus management. This paper presents a framework for the integrated management of the WEF nexus, which brings together four separate models that address the less well-examined socio-anthropological aspects of the nexus. The proposed framework provides insight into the human element as part of the wider ecosystem in terms of socio-cultural and economic activities, the laws and policies that govern these activities, as well as their potential socio-economic impacts and consequences. This paper outlines each individual model, before going on to present a conceptual framework for the integration of the various models for the purpose of supporting more robust decision-making. The framework, which is grounded in systems thinking, adopts the principles of sustainable development as structural foci in order to position the various models in relation to one another; harmonizing their inputs as well as outputs.