Sustainability in the water-energy-food nexus

By Anik Bhaduri, Claudia Ringler, Ines Dombrowsky, Rabi Mohtar and Waltina Scheumann. This article is an introduction to a special issue of Water International which features 12 articles that are divided into two sections according to the two thematic questions. 1) Articles under the scale and implementation theme discuss challenges, assessment tools and solutions for implementing nexus approaches at different scales and how these scales are linked with one another through synergies and trade-offs. 2) Articles under the governance and management theme address different mechanisms and institutional arrangements that can support a paradigm shift away from disjointed policies. Articles also focus on government initiatives that take into account the complexity of linkages between water, food and energy to maximize positive results and minimize harmful impacts.