We have long known that water, energy and food security are intricately linked, yet governments and other actors continue to pursue mostly siloed, single-sector strategies. The cost of such strategies has been rising with the spread of COVID-19, as inequities in access and their impacts have grown while financial resources for more comprehensive solutions are dwindling. In this context, the Nexus approach will gain prominence again because if, for example, water and food security can be tackled with one single energy security intervention, governments will go for the solution that saves money and tackles several problems at the same time.  Using case studies from developed and developing countries, this paper examines how Covid-19 has laid open new paths where the Nexus approach can make a difference, such as through decentralized energy and associated food processing systems. We demonstrate how the Nexus approach will continue to be an important component in business and government strategies, both in developing countries where energy, water and food systems are under-developed, and also in developed countries, where shifts are arising in the ways we are producing food, providing energy and managing water resources.

Nexus approach in times of Covid-19: Future challenges and prospects

ACS Fall 2021

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