The Need for Policy Coordination in Governing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

• Authors: Johannes Halbe , Kathrin Knüppe
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Coordination of policies in different sectors and at multiple levels is a major task for governing the water-energy-food nexus. Nexus governance has to deal with plurality of policies that are in place (e.g., interaction of policies across levels). Based on an overview of governance challenges, this report provides insights into policy instruments and experiences in their application at the global, national, regional and local levels. Institutional innovation is needed to develop democratic and participatory approaches that address the water-energy-food nexus. Another requirement is the development and implementation of binding environmental targets (e.g. water quality standards, land use distribution) which should be set at national or supranational levels. However, context-specific pathways should be established for different regions to achieve those targets. Various examples are provided to illustrate challenges and solutions to the implementation of a nexus governance approach.

Keywords

EN

Nexus Governance; policy coordination; institutional innovation

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1

Dates

published

2015-01-01

received

2014-06-30

accepted

2015-09-30

online

2015-12-17

Contributors

author

Johannes Halbe

• Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrueck, Germany

author

Kathrin Knüppe

• Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrueck, Germany

References

• Gupta, J., C. Pahl-Wostl and R. Zondervan, 2013. ‘Glocal’ water governance: a multi-level challenge in the Anthropocene. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 5(6), 573-580
• Hoff H., 2011. Understanding the Nexus. Background Paper for the Bonn 2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus. Stockholm Environment Institute.
• Hussey, K. and J. Pittock, 2012. The Energy-Water Nexus: Managing the Links between Energy and Water for a Sustainable Future. Ecology and Society 17(1): 31. [online: http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-04641-170131][WoS][Crossref]
• Mostert, E., C. Pahl-Wostl, Y. Rees, B. Searle, D. Tàbara, and J. Tippett, 2007. Social learning in European river-basin management: barriers and fostering mechanisms from 10 river basins. Ecology and Society 12 (1), 19.
• Pahl-Wostl C., 2009. A conceptual framework for analysing adaptive capacity and multi-level learning processes in resource governance regimes. Global Environ Change 19, 354-365.

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/cass-2015-0009