Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Food-Energy-Water Nexus

  • 709 Accesses

Abstract

After analyzing the idea of food, energy, and water security, we will look through the lens of demographics to see the complexities of engaging the world’s population in our study of the nexus. We will examine the concept of development in countries and the human development of people within a country. Based on these elements, we will explore efforts to guide policy and action on a global level to meet the basic need for food, energy, and water through the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015), the Sustainable Energy for All initiative (2012–2030), and the Sustainable Development Goals (2016–2030). Aspects of this chapter foreshadow later chapters, such as international governance and the challenges of metrics, data, and modeling.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allan, J. A. (1998). Virtual water: A strategic resource global solutions to regional deficits. Groundwater, 36(4), 545–546.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakker, K. (2012). Water security: Research challenges and opportunities. Science, 337(6097), 914–915.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakker, K., & Morinville, C. (2013). The governance dimensions of water security: A review. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 371(2002), 20130116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beddington, J. R., et al. (2012). Achieving food security in the face of climate change: Final report from the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. Copenhagen: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhaduri, A., et al. (2015). Sustainability in the water-energy-food nexus. Water International, 40, 723–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruckner, M., et al. (2012). Materials embodied in international trade–Global material extraction and consumption between 1995 and 2005. Global Environmental Change, 22(3), 568–576.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Odorico, P., Laio, F., & Ridolfi, L. (2010). Does globalization of water reduce societal resilience to drought? Geophysical Research Letters, 37(13), L13403.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Odorico, P., et al. (2014). Feeding humanity through global food trade. Earth’s Future, 2(9), 458–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daily, G., et al. (1998). Food production, population growth, and the environment. Science, 281, 1291–1292.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, J. (2005). Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed. Camberwell, VIC: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Easterly, W. (2009). How the millennium development goals are unfair to Africa. World Development, 37(1), 26–35. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2066805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, P. R. (1968). The population bomb. New York, NY: Sierra Club, Ballantine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, P. R., & Ehrlich, A. H. (2009). The population bomb revisited. The Electronic Journal of Sustainable Development, 1(3), 63–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Famiglietti, J. S. (2014). The global groundwater crisis. Nature Climate Change, 4(11), 945.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1996) Report of the World Food Summit 13-17 November 1996, WFS 96/REP, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1996 http://www.fao.org/3/w3548e/w3548e00.htm

  • FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, WHO. (2017). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2017. Building resilience for peace and food security. Rome: FAO. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7695e.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folke, C., et al. (2002). Resilience and sustainable development: Building adaptive capacity in a world of transformations. Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment, 31(5), 437–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folke, C., et al. (2010). Resilience thinking: Integrating resilience, adaptability, and transformability. Ecology and Society, 15(4), 20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garnett, T. (2014). Three perspectives on sustainable food security: Efficiency, demand restraint, food system transformation. What role for life cycle assessment? Journal of Cleaner Production, 73, 10–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrick, D., & Hall, J. W. (2014). Water security and society: Risks, metrics, and pathways. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 39, 611–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godfray, H. C. J., et al. (2010). Food security: The challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science, 327, 812.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gustafson, D., et al. (2016). Seven food system metrics of sustainable nutrition security. Sustainability, 8(3), 196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haddow, G., Bullock, J., & Coppola, D. P. (2017). Introduction to emergency management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanjra, M. A., & Qureshi, M. E. (2010). Global water crisis and future food security in an era of climate change. Food Policy, 35(5), 365–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hashimoto, T., Stedinger, J. R., & Loucks, D. P. (1982). Reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability criteria for water resource system performance evaluation. Water Resources Research, 18(1), 14–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, R. L., Bezdek, R., & Wendling, R. (2005). Peaking of world oil production: Impacts, mitigation, & risk management (No. DOE/NETL-IR-2005-093; NETL-TPR-2319). Pittsburgh, PA; Morgantown, WV; Albany, OR: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoekstra, A. Y., et al. (2012). Global monthly water scarcity: Blue water footprints versus blue water availability. PLoS One, 7(2), e32688.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holling, C. S. (1996). Engineering resilience versus ecological resilience. Engineering Within Ecological Constraints, 31(1996), 32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollnagel, E., Woods, D. D., & Leveson, N. (2007). Resilience engineering: Concepts and precepts. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • IEA, IRENA, UN Statistics Division, World Bank Group, WHO. (2018). Tracking SDG7: The energy progress report 2018: A joint report of the Custodian Agencies. Washington, DC: Bank. Retrieved from https://irena.org/publications/2018/May/Tracking-SDG7-The-Energy-Progress-Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, A. D., et al. (2013). What are we assessing when we measure food security? A compendium and review of current metrics. Advances in Nutrition, 4(5), 481–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasprzyk, J. R., et al. (2013). Many objective robust decision making for complex environmental systems undergoing change. Environmental Modelling & Software, 42, 55–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, C., Cuddihy, J., & Engel‐Yan, J. (2007). The changing metabolism of cities. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11(2), 43–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kijne, J. W., Barker, R., & Molden, D. J. (Eds.). (2003). Water productivity in agriculture: Limits and opportunities for improvement (Vol. 1). Wallingford: CABI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambin, E. F., & Meyfroidt, P. (2011). Global land use change, economic globalization, and the looming land scarcity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(9), 3465–3472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ljunberg, D., & Lundh, V. (2013). Resilience engineering within ATM - Development, adaption, and application of the Resilience Analysis Grid (RAG) (LiU-ITN-TEK-G--013/080--SE). Linköping: University of Linköping.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, A., Mubako, S., & Ruddell, B. L. (2016). Developing the greatest Blue Economy: Water productivity, fresh water depletion, and virtual water trade in the Great Lakes basin. Earth’s Future, 4(6), 282–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McArthur, J., & Rasmussen, K. (2018). Change of pace: Accelerations and advances during the Millennium Development Goal era. World Development, 105, 132–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.12.030.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meadows, D., & Randers, J. (2012). The limits to growth: The 30-year update. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Meadows, D. H., et al. (1972). The limits to growth: A report to the Club of Rome. New York, NY: Universe Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen, M. M., & Hoekstra, A. Y. (2016). Four billion people facing severe water scarcity. Science Advances, 2(2), e1500323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, F., et al. (2010). Resilience and vulnerability: Complementary or conflicting concepts? Ecology and Society, 15(3), 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molden, D., & Sakthivadivel, R. (1999). Water accounting to assess use and productivity of water. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 15(1-2), 55–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosegrant, M. W., & Cline, S. A. (2003). Global food security: Challenges and policies. Science, 302(5652), 1917–1919.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rushforth, R. R., Messerschmidt, M., & Ruddell, B. L. (in review). The water SRVC model for metropolitan water portfolio water security.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rushforth, R. R., & Ruddell, B. L. (2015). The hydro-economic interdependency of cities: Virtual water connections of the Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan Area. Sustainability, 7(7), 8522–8547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rushforth, R. R., & Ruddell, B. L. (2016). The vulnerability and resilience of a city’s water footprint: The case of Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. Water Resources Research, 52(4), 2698–2714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sovacool, B. K., & Mukherjee, I. (2011). Conceptualizing and measuring energy security: A synthesized approach. Energy, 36(8), 5343–5355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sovacool, B. K., et al. (2011). Evaluating energy security performance from 1990 to 2010 for eighteen countries. Energy, 36(10), 5846–5853.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone, D. (2008). Global public policy, Transnational policy communities, and their networks. Policy Studies Journal, 36(1), 19–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Secretary-General’s High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. (2012). Sustainable Energy for All: A Global Action Agenda. Vienna: Sustainable Energy for All. Retrieved from https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/l/2014/01/SEFA-Action-Agenda-Final.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Geological Survey. (2018). Summary of estimated water use in the United States in 2015. Reston, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2018/3035/fs20183035.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP. (2016). Human development report 2016. Human development for everyone. New York, NY: Author. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-report-2016-human-development-everyone.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (1992). United Nations Conference on Environment & Development (Agenda 21). New York, NY: Author. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2010). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 2010, 65/151. International year of Sustainable Energy for All. New York, NY: Author. Retrieved from https://www.seforall.org/sites/default/files/l/2013/10/a.res_.65.151-int-year-of-sefa.pdf.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development (A/RES/70/1). New York, NY: Author. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/.

    Google Scholar 

  • UN-Water. (2013). Water security & the global water agenda. United Nations University, 2013. Geneva: Author. Retrieved from http://www.unwater.org/publications/water-security-global-water-agenda/.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP. (2018). Human development indices and indicators: 2018 Statistical update, United Nations Development Program. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/2018-update

  • Urdal, H. (2004). The devil in the demographics: The effect of youth bulges on domestic armed conflict, 1950-2000 (Social development papers 14). Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogt, K., et al. (2012). Sustainability unpacked: Food, energy and water for resilient environments and societies. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, B., & Salt, D. (2012a). Resilience practice: Building capacity to absorb disturbance and maintain function. Washington, DC: Island Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, B., & Salt, D. (2012b). Resilience thinking: Sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Washington, DC: Island Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, R. V., et al. (2014). The energy-water-food nexus: Strategic analysis of technologies for transforming the urban metabolism. Journal of Environmental Management, 141, 104–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, T., & Von Braun, J. (2013). Climate change impacts on global food security. Science, 341(6145), 508–513.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiedmann, T. O., et al. (2016). The material footprint of nations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(20), 6271–6276.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yergin, D. (2006). Ensuring energy security. Foreign Affairs, 85, 69–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, R., Zhu, Q., & Dimitri, C. (2016). Promoting resilience for food, energy, and water interdependencies. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 6(1), 50–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Further Reading

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Policy and Climate, Advanced Academic Programs, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA

    Peter Saundry

  2. School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Benjamin L. Ruddell

Authors
  1. Peter Saundry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Benjamin L. Ruddell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Saundry .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Policy and Climate, Advanced Academic Programs, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA

    Peter Saundry

  2. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Benjamin L. Ruddell

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Saundry, P., Ruddell, B.L. (2020). Development. In: Saundry, P., Ruddell, B. (eds) The Food-Energy-Water Nexus. AESS Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29914-9_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation