Development of water-energy-food nexus conceptual framework for Bangladesh

Abstract

The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus is a useful concept to apprehend the complex and interrelated characteristics of vital natural resources that are indispensable in the achievement of sustainable development for Bangladesh. The WEF nexus approach expounds interdependency of three interfaces of energy-water, energy-food, and food-water and through integrating nexus perspectives into national plans, policies and strategies, becomes a policy and resource management instrument. A Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus framework is developed for Bangladesh through evaluating water, energy and agricultural resource management conflicts, expounding interrelations by demand assessment and assessing prevailing WEF nexus frameworks. The WEF nexus framework for Bangladesh depicts that in one hand food production is water intensive due to irrigation requirements that draws vast electricity that is also dependent on water supply for both thermal and hydro plants whereas water management systems are run by electricity. Water-induced disasters bring devastation to both food and power production while fertilization in agriculture and criticality in land acquisition for setting up of power plants along with their discharged effluents in rivers cause damage to water quality, agriculture, and fisheries of particular locations. Solar irrigation, crop diversification, biomass electricity, micro-hydro power generation, organic fertilization are responses to the criticality of WEF nexus being practiced in Bangladesh. Despite national plans and policies of Bangladesh tremendously focus on implementation measures to accomplish sustainability in water, energy, and food security, their lacking in incorporating the WEF nexus would result in impeding eco-system sustenance. It is evident from this study that, the institutionalization of the synergy between water and agriculture is issued in major plans and policies whereas interconnection between water and energy, food and energy is not addressed to required extent whilst the WEF nexus perspective is absent. Divergent sectarian experts have strongly agreed on efforts to improve institutional and financial coordination along with international technology transfer and capacity building training programmes to be initiated to adopt a nexus approach in the process of SDG implementation. Given growing criticality in resource management in water, energy and food sector, foremost ratiocination derived is to harnessing the WEF nexus in policymaking is of utmost importance for achieving sustainable development ensuring ecosystem and environmental balance.