Exploring the relationship between water, energy and food

Abstract

Water-energy-food nexus The WRC water-energy-food flagship programme or Lighthouse was first introduced last year. Lighthouses are transdisciplinary, multidepartmental and inter-institutional mega-projects examining priority water issues across the innovation value chain. Individually, food, energy and water are all vital for a sustainable future. However, these resources are also mutually connected or linked. So energy, for example requires water, often in large volumes for fuel production, mining, hydropower and power plant cooling. On the other hand, energy is needed for pumping, treatment and distribution of water as well as the collection, treatment and safe discharge of wastewater. In turn, both energy and water resources are required to produce food. Figure 1 shows that the water sector is heavily stressed compared to the energy and agriculture sectors. According to the National Water Resources Strategy 2 of the Department of Water Affairs, more than 60% of South Africa’s fresh surface water is used by irrigated agriculture.

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