Walking the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Talk?

Description

Winston Yu, an adjunct lecturer at Johns Hopkins and the senior water resources specialist at the World Bank, will give a talk entitled "Walking the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Talk?" as part of the Johns Hopkins University Energy and Environmental Programs Speaker Series.

The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is central to country goals on sustainable development. Demand for all three is increasing, driven by a rising global population, increasing urbanization, changing diets, and economic growth. This is also in the context of climate change and challenging institutional and policy environments for water, energy, and food sectors. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the world's freshwater resources, and more than one-quarter of the energy used globally is expended on food production. Fossil fuel production, still a dominant and growing part of the global energy mix, is highly water intensive, as is biofuel production and the growing practice of shale gas extraction. Water is needed for cooling in electricity generation. Energy is also needed to deliver and treat water for a broad range of users (including desal). These inextricable linkages require an integrated approach (in terms of management, operations, and planning) to ensuring water, food, and energy security. However, what are the practical challenges to integrated approaches and embracing what some may argue are not new ideas? Can we really walk the nexus talk for better development outcomes for all?

The Energy and Environmental Programs Speaker Series represents the Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy and the Master of Science in Energy Policy and Climate.