Impacts of water, energy, and food nexus challenges on household vulnerability: the case of Harare City, Zimbabwe

Abstract Water, energy, and food (WEF) are interwoven, and their scarcity in the face of climate change intensifies household vulnerability (HV), particularly in developing countries. The interlinkage is complex; it makes it difficult to make decisions and requires coordinated and integrated approaches. Policymakers face problems when attempting to identify and implement appropriate policy actions at the nexus of these challenges. This study interrogates the contribution of WEF challenges to HV in Harare to create good policies that can enhance synergies. Data was collected from 314 urban households through questionnaires. In addition, 11 in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion were conducted with the Harare Residents’ Association. The stakeholders interviewed included six city council officials, one representative from UNICEF, two from the World Food Program, and two from the Zimbabwe electricity supply authority. Survey data was analysed using both SPSS Statistics and SPSS AMOS software. While SPSS Statistics was used for descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and inferential tests, SPSS Amos was used for construct validation and structural equation modelling (SEM) path analysis. Interviews were recorded, collated, transcribed, and coded through the summative thematic analysis using QSR NVivo v14. SEM was used to test the proposed relationships between WEF challenges and HV. The findings revealed a positive relationship between the WEF constructs and HV among Harare residents. Socioeconomic factors were also found to have a statistically significant effect on the relationship between Climatic Change and HV. Most climate impacts were found to be water-related, meaning, interventions to address water challenges can boost energy and food production. This will enable policymakers to allocate resources for positive results.