At the Tipping Point

Living in a more and more resource-constrained world

With easy exploitation of natural resources coming to an end in the next few decades, our world will be facing severe constraints to economic growth and human well-being. Current projections indicate rising demands for water, energy and food, and predict subsequent strains on the natural systems. These trends send a clear message to decisionmakers in governments, business and civil society: the way in which countries deal with water, energy and food security will heavily influence economic growth, human well-being and the environment we live in and rely on.

Provision of basic services is not secured...

Already today, nearly one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, 2.5 billion people lack access to sustainable sanitation, one billion people suffer from hunger and 2.5 billion people do not have access to modern forms of energy. As rapid population growth mainly takes place in poor urban settlements where basic commodities are either missing or highly overpriced, urban areas are in particular facing new challenges in providing basic services. Unstable conditions within these areas can lead to negative long-term impacts on the economy.

... and will become even more difficult in the future

At the same time, a rapidly growing global population and a high economic growth rate in developing countries will drive up global demand for energy by 30 to 40%, while food demand will increase by up to 70% by 2050. Other global trends, such as climate change, rapid urbanisation and changing consumption patterns also put scarce resources under increasing stress and jeopardise the fundamental development goals of increased human well-being, economic development and poverty eradication.

Think Interlinked — The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus

When it comes to water, energy and food security for all people living on the planet, we must transform the tipping point into a turning point. For this, we need solutions based on a water, energy and food security nexus perspective from which interlinkages are better understood and synergies are generated between the three sectors.

Looking Through a Different Lense

Strategic decisions involving difficult trade-offs between the water, energy and food security might become more and more inevitable due to resource constraints. It requires smart and well-informed decisions that take into account the impact on each of the three sectors and the different implications for the different stakeholders. In this way, the nexus perspective can help us to apply a comprehensive approach and look through an intersectoral lens when taking specific decisions.

It is water that is running through the veins of our economies

Water resource availability simultaneously underpins food and energy production as well as the provision of drinking water. 70% of the world’s abstracted freshwater resources are being used in agriculture. On the other hand, sufficient and stable energy provision is vital for water supply and sanitation as well as food production. If current trends continue, by 2030 two-thirds of the world’s population will live in areas of high water stress. If not managed sustainably, the limited availability of water resources could hamper emerging economies in the developing world and increase poverty and the degradation of ecosystems.

Background Paper

Based on this thematic profile the Conference Background Paper was compiled under the auspices of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) based on contributions by a broad range of partners. This background paper provides evidence for the effectiveness of a nexus approach that can improve water, energy and food security, by reducing trade-offs and building synergies across sectors.