Systematic Approach for Assessing the Water–Energy–Food Nexus for Sustainable Development in Regions with Resource Scarcities
Brenda Cansino-Loeza, Xaté Geraldine Sánchez-Zarco, Edgar Geovanni Mora-Jacobo, Frida Elizabeth Saggiante-Mauro, Ramón González‐Bravo, Jürgen Mahlknecht, José María Ponce‐Ortega
Abstract
Currently, the security of basic resources such as water, energy, and food is regarded as essential for sustainable development. Nonetheless, population growth, economic development, and changing consumption patterns have caused stress on these resources. It is expected that, in the near future, in many parts of the world, it will be challenging to satisfy the demand of the population and the access to essential services. Assessing the availability and access to natural resources allows for making projections of future scenarios and, in this sense, developing policies to mitigate deficiencies in all these sectors. This work presents an approach to assess the progress on the water–energy–food nexus security through an index that involves availability, accessibility, and sustainability indicators of a region over a time period. The evaluation considering the Sustainable Development Goals allows for identifying vulnerabilities associated with the water–energy–food nexus. The state of Sonora in Mexico was selected as a case study because of its unequal distribution and accessibility of resources. Results show that water, energy, and food access is not at risk, but the importation of resources to meet the demand of the state makes the nexus unsustainable because the availability of resources is not enough to satisfy the services of the population. Nevertheless, projections for 2030 show slight improvements in the water–energy–food nexus security.