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Climate and Human Stresses on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

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Encyclopedia of GIS

Synonyms

Food security; Integrated assessment models; Mass migration; Resource scarcity; Resources management; WEF

Definition

Water, energy, and food are indistinguishably linked. Water is an input for producing agricultural goods in the fields and along the entire agro-food supply chain. Energy is required for food production and water distribution: to power agricultural and irrigation machinery and for processing and transportation of agricultural goods. Agriculture accounts for nearly 70 % of total water withdrawal across the globe, while food production and processing accounts for nearly 30 % energy consumption worldwide (Water 2014).

The synergies and trade-offs between water consumption, food production, and energy consumption are manifold:

  • Using water to irrigate crops might promote food production, but it can also reduce river flows and hydropower potential.

  • Growing bioenergy crops under irrigated agriculture can increase overall water withdrawals and endanger food security.

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Blumenfeld, L. et al. (2017). Climate and Human Stresses on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. In: Shekhar, S., Xiong, H., Zhou, X. (eds) Encyclopedia of GIS. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17885-1_1633

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