Elsevier Publishers call for submission of original research articles addressing real-world inclusion of ecosystem services in the management of the water-food-energy nexus at local, river basin and regional scales. Submission deadline is 31 July 2014.
Projected changes in demographic and climatic trends depict an uncertain future for water availability. A collapse in our capacity to balance water demand and supply from/to different competing sectors can trigger dangerous disparities in access to water for billions of people. Meeting these demands has prompted the development of a system approach tackling interrelationships between water and the major water-using sectors: food and energy production.
However, addressing the water nexus is still influenced by a business approach trying to set efficiency goals for the different sectors, with no adequate appreciation of the role of ecosystems as elements of the capital assets that support the water sector. Solutions focusing on equitable allocation of water across the nexus need to integrate knowledge on the ecosystem services provided by rivers, lakes, wetlands and aquifers. Ecosystem services should become the fourth pillar of the nexus assessment.
This special issue solicits the submission of original research articles addressing real-world inclusion of ecosystem services in the management of the water-food-energy nexus at local, river basin and regional scales. We encourage water nexus-conscious researchers to submit contributions that
-Integrate bio-physical, socio-cultural and monetary valuation of ecosystem services into water nexus management processes
-Propose new spatial indicators for multi-scale mapping of water-related ecosystem services and use in hydro-economic assessment and scenario analyses of the water nexus
-Combine local knowledge on ecosystem services with scientific findings in the planning of water management strategies at the catchment scale
-Give examples through case studies from around the globe, at different scales, on the assessment of trade-offs between upstream and downstream water users
-Provide evidence for business opportunities offered by water ecosystem-based measures
-Examine effectiveness of Payments for Watershed Services schemes to deliver intended results
-Investigate institutional arrangements for mainstreaming ecosystem services into river basin management plans and water nexus decision making of governments and water companies.