India and the Gulf: A NewStrategy for Water, Energy,Food, and EcosystemSecurity
Water, energy, food, and ecosystems(WEFE) are deeply interconnected,and these linkages sit at the core oftoday’s most critical global securitychallenges. With climate pressures intensifying, cities expanding,and populations growing, the interconnections among agrifoodsystem transformation, energy transition, integrated watermanagement, and land governance are not parallel agendas.They shape each other’s risks and opportunities in ways thatdetermine whether communities move […]
What “Nexus”? Towards Resource Nexus standardization (Policy Brief No. 1). United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES).
Following the Dresden Nexus Conference in 2025, which also marked its 10th anniversary, a policy brief was developed by researchers from the Nexus community. The development of the Policy Brief was led by UNU-FLORES and PRIMA. The policy brief is titled “What ‘Nexus’? Towards Resource Nexus Standardization.” Read full policy brief: What “Nexus”? Towards Resource Nexus […]
Toward Community-Engaged Sustainable Development Goals Localization: San Antonio, TX
Sustainable urban development requires locally relevant strategies that respond to complex challenges of climate change, inequality, and rapid population growth. This paper demonstrates how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can serve as a guiding framework for city-level planning, applied through participatory approaches. We leveraged expert stakeholder engagement and broad public participation in San Antonio, TX, […]
From Data to Decisions: Water-Energy-Food-Environment (WEFE) Nexus Modeling Under Changing Climate
Transforming data into actionable insights is crucial for building resilient and sustainable water, energy, food, and environmental systems. However, the accelerating impacts of climate change are reshaping the dynamics of WEFE systems, intensifying resource interdependencies, and challenging conventional resource planning approaches. To navigate this complexity, decision-makers increasingly need integrated modeling frameworks that reflect cross-sectoral linkages […]
Simplexifying Sustainability
How can sustainability science avoid paralysis in the face of complexity and ensure it catalyses meaningful action? The key lies in practising the science and art of simplexity, argues Bassel Daher. You can find the full article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01650-5.epdf
Financing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus project: challenges, opportunities, and pathways for sustainable investment
The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus framework provides a holistic approach to sustainable resource management, addressing the interdependencies between these sectors to enhance resilience against climate change and resource scarcity. Despite its potential, financing WEFE projects remains a significant challenge due to complex investment structures, long-term payback periods, and difficulties in demonstrating economic returns. This paper explores […]
Fifty years of excellence in water resources research: insights from the most cited articles per decade published in Water International
It has been emphasized since its inception that IWRA is established not to duplicate the functions of many existing organizations but to supplement their activities and to fill in the interdisciplinary voids that occur in the professional field of water resources. The concept of WATER INTERNATIONAL is therefore to provide broad knowledge and information on […]
Inclusive policy development from the ground up: Insights from the household water-energy-food nexus
Despite substantial contemporary research and a growing trend in exploring the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, most research efforts have been invested in macro-level supply-side infrastructure and policies. However, prioritizing demand-side management policies can provide new opportunities and untapped potential for addressing interconnected resource challenges. Demand management inherently encompasses users’ consumption patterns, behaviors, socio-economic conditions, and choices, […]
Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction
This special report examines the past, present and future applications of technology in advancing disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. By providing detailed explanations, definitions and regional case studies, this report showcases how various technologies have helped bridge critical gaps in data gathering, data processing and disaster risk modelling related to multiple hazards and at different […]
Securing Our Future: A Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach to Climate Risks, Resource Scarcity, and Human Mobility in the Middle East
This book addresses these pressing issues, providing a comprehensive overview of the challenges posed by climate change and their impacts on society. It also presents a series of innovative actions aimed at enhancing the resilience of modern society. The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus is a critical area of research aimed at building a more sustainable society. […]