Water, energy, and food systems are tightly interconnected, and the way in which they are managed has direct impacts on the environment and eco-systems in which they exist. Water, energy, and food security are critical for economic growth and human development. Globally, water demand is expected to increase by 1% each year for the next 30 years, which will exacerbate pressures on water resource systems, jeopardizing the livelihoods for the estimated 4 billion people living in areas that experience water scarcity (UNESCO WWAP 2022). Energy demand is expected to double between 2015 and 2050 as a result of economic development and growing populations (IRENA 2015). At the same time, moderate and severe food insecurity has been on the rise since 2014, soon after the shocks on the food markets in 2007 and 2008 (Wiggins, Keats, and Compton 2010). Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic the increase in global food insecurity in 2020 equaled the increases of the previous five years combined (FAO 2021).

See full report: 230605-WP1-Report_Final.pdf