Resource Security (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Bridgette Barrett
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
The Water-Food-Energy Nexus
Proposed at the Bonn Nexus Conference in 2011, the water, food and energy (WFE) nexus refers to the connections or links between the consumption and supply of natural resources
Changes in any of the three resource areas will impact the security of the others
If resources are to be sustainably managed, then an understanding of the links and interactions is essential
The WFE nexus helps stakeholders such as governments, international organisations, TNCs and research establishments achieve this
What are water, food and energy security?
Resource security refers to the ability of a country to maintain a reliable and sustainable flow of resources to maintain the living standards of its population
Water security is sufficient water of high enough quality to meet the population's needs
Food security is access to a diet of sufficient quantity and quality to meet daily health needs and allow people to lead an active life
Energy security is an available, affordable energy supply which is uninterrupted
Water security
By 2050, global water demand is predicted to increase by 20–25%
In 2023, almost 50% of the world's population faced high water stress for at least one month
There are different levels of water shortage - these are water stress and water scarcity:
Water stress occurs when the supply of water is below 1700m3 a year per person
Water scarcity is when the supply is below 1000m3 a year per person
According to the World Resources Institute, 25 countries faced extremely high levels of water stress in 2023
This affects over 25% of the world's population
More than 80% of the water available to agricultural, domestic and industrial users is withdrawn annually
Leaves businesses, farms and communities vulnerable to scarcity
Food security
Large spatial variations exist in food security
North America, Europe, Japan and Australasia are the regions considered most food secure
The greatest risk of food insecurity is in sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan and Haiti
Climate change and growing population are increasing the risk to food security in many regions of the world
The UN estimates that the number of people in 'hunger emergencies' has increased from 135 million in 2019 to 345 million in 2022
Global food prices are rising; 23% higher in 2023 than in 2021
World grain reserves are lower than they have been for 14 years
Women and girls account for 70% of the people suffering hunger
Globally, approximately 783 million people are suffering from severe hunger
In more developed countries, there is often a food surplus and large amounts of food waste
Energy security
An energy gap is when a country cannot meet the demand for energy using its resources
When countries have an energy gap, they have to import energy to meet the demand
Having an energy gap means that a country is not energy-secure
Fossil fuels still supply over 80% of the world's energy and account for 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions
According to the International Energy Agency, 775 million people do not have access to electricity
The majority of these people live in Sub-Saharan Africa
The WFE nexus
The interactions between food, energy and water may contribute to food, energy and water insecurity because they reduce the amount of the resource which is available
This may be due to:
Increased use of the resource
Pollution of the resource
Global examples of interactions in the WFE nexus
A lack of available water to cool power plants in India led to the loss of 8.2 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy because the power plants could not function
In Europe the land used to grow biofuels could be used to produce for an estimated 120 million people
Interactions of Food, Energy and Water Resources
Resource | Food | Energy | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
Food production and its impact on energy and water security |
| Energy is used to grow, transport and process food; this accounts for 30% of global energy use (FAO, 2011). Most of this is used in food processing and transport Increased demand for food increases the use of energy. New technology, such as hydroponics, uses more energy for light and heat | Over 70% of freshwater withdrawals are for use in agriculture (FAO, 2023) Pollution from livestock, fertilisers and pesticides enters water sources, reducing freshwater availability Food processing uses large quantities of water |
Energy and its impact on food and water security | Growth of biofuels and solar farms uses land which could be used for growing crops Mining and drilling for fossil fuels creates waste, which can pollute farmland |
| Use of water for energy production and cooling Fracking uses large quantities of water combined with chemicals The construction of dams for HEP reduces discharge downstream but can improve water security in some areas |
Water and its impact on food and energy security | Increased urbanisation increases the demand for water, reducing the amount available for food growth | High energy consumption from desalination Energy is used for treating waste water and abstraction of groundwater Water shortages will impact energy generation due to a lack of water for cooling |
|
Value of the nexus concept
Resources and resource security do not exist in isolation, they are all linked
The nexus concept acknowledges these connections and interactions
It views energy, food and water security as of equal importance
The WFE nexus provides a framework, enabling integrated solutions to be developed
Challenges for the nexus concept
Resource management crosses international boundaries, making stakeholder cooperation essential to the success of resource management
The participation of stakeholders is not equal, governments and TNCs have more power than local communities
The balance between food, energy and water security is not always achieved when the main focus of projects is on one particular issue
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