Session at RGS 2018 // What is Driving the Water-Energy-Food Nexus? Knowledge, Power and Genesis of an Emerging Resource Governance Concept
Session at the Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society: In the context of accelerated global change, the Water-Energy-Food Nexus has gained increasing attention within science and international politics by promoting integrated resource governance. To explore how knowledge, power and socio-nature relations are (re)produced through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, this study employs a discourse theoretical perspective. We trace and deconstruct the discursive formations of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and analyse their constituents in terms of underlying epistemologies, sustainability imaginaries, problem framing, promoted solutions and socio-nature relations. Initial findings suggest that the hegemonic nexus discourse is dominated by natural scientific perspectives and a neo-malthusian framing of environmental challenges.
As such, the urgently promoted cross-sectoral nexus approach to resource governance is to increase efficiency and advance sustainability. Water, energy and food are presented as global trade goods that require close monitoring, management and control, to be achieved primarily via quantitative assessments and technological interventions. Within the less visible discourses, social scientific perspectives engage with the social, political and normative elements of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. They criticise the dominant nexus representation for its managerial, neoliberal and utilitarian approach to resource governance. While hegemonic framings can mask power relations and social inequalities, alternative framings acknowledge the political nature of resource governance.
By deconstructing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus concept, this paper illustrates how different epistemologies shape opposing discourses and indicate possible socio-environmental futures. In order promote resource governance that is based on epistemic pluralism, this paper argues to engage more closely with marginalised and alternative discourses before endorsing emerging sustainability concepts as political or scientific agendas.
Presenters
- Viviana Wiegleb, University of Trier, Germany
- Antje Bruns, University of Trier, Germany
Chair: Maria Paula Escobar Tello, University of Bristol, UK
Where and when
Part of Session 2: "Disciplinary landscapes"
29 Aug 2018
11:10-12:50
Glamorgan Building
Seminar Room -1.60
Further reading
The article has been published in Frontiers in Environmental Science.
What Is Driving the Water-Energy-Food Nexus? // Discourses, Knowledge, and Politics of an Emerging Resource Governance Concept
By Viviana Wiegleb and Antje Bruns. In the context of accelerated global socio-environmental change, the Water-Energy-Food Nexus has received increasing attention within…
More information
Royal Geographical Society // Annual Conference 2018
The 2018 Annual International Conference will be held at Cardiff University from Tuesday 28 August to Friday 31 August 2018. This year's topic is "Geographical landscapes /…
Source: RGS AC2018 website