Call for Papers // Special Issue of Water Economics and Policy on Economic Aspects of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus

About Water and Economics and Policy

Water Economics and Policy (WEP) is a water economics and policy journal published by World Scientific, bridging rigorous economic research and actionable water policy across local, regional, national, and international levels. WEP publishes theoretical and empirical research, book reviews, and policy articles across its core areas:

• Water Resource Management — groundwater governance, transboundary allocation, water rights, and utility performance
• Environmental & Natural Resource Economics — water scarcity, ecosystem valuation, climate change, and policy instruments
• Irrigation & Agricultural Water Use — water pricing, agricultural economics, and farm-level management
• Urban & Infrastructure Economics — urban water supply, hydropower, and stormwater management
• Water Policy Analysis — evidence-based governance integrating economics with hydrological and ecological perspectives

Context

Water, energy, and food (WEF) systems are increasingly shaped by climate pressures, resource scarcity, demographic change, and technological transformation. Their interdependencies mean that siloed sectoral policies often generate inefficiencies, externalities, and unsustainable resource use. These pressures amplify the economic consequences of fragmented decision making regarding their allocations, affecting productivity, investment planning, and long term resource security. As countries pursue climate adaptation measures and sustainable development, the need for coherent, economically grounded WEF strategies becomes more urgent.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that advance the economic foundations, financial viability, and policy design of integrated WEF systems. We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological work that strengthens the evidence base for economically sound and resilient WEF strategies. Particular interest lies in approaches that quantify trade offs, evaluate investment portfolios, and assess the distributional and institutional implications of integrated resource management. Contributions that link modelling, finance, governance, and behavioral insights into real-world policy challenges are especially encouraged.

Possible themes

• Integrated economic modelling — CGE, partial equilibrium, hydro economic, and hybrid models
• Economic feasibility and cost analysis — cost benefit, cost effectiveness, welfare analysis
• Pricing and market design — marginal cost pricing, tariff reform, market mechanisms
• Resource allocation under scarcity and uncertainty — water, energy, land, and capital constraints
• Investment and blended finance — green bonds, PPPs, guarantees, risk return assessment
• Behavioral economics — adoption, compliance, nudges, information instruments
• Empirical policy evaluation — econometrics, causal inference, experimental and quasi experimental methods
• Digital tools for economic optimization — digital twins, AI enabled decision support, real time monitoring
• Distributional impacts and equity — poverty, inequality, affordability
• Institutional and governance economics — regulatory design, coordination mechanisms, policy mixes

The manuscript submission deadline is 30 April 2027.

Further Information

Please find more information here.