CITY-RESILIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WATER-ENERGY-SANITATION NEXUS

Urban challenges require integrative scientific knowledge, and multi-stakeholder approaches that account for local socio-ecological dynamics and interconnected urban systems. Sustainable urbanization and city resilience depend on multifunctional interventions and environmental integration to minimize impacts on human and natural systems. This article examines urban resilience through the Water-Energy-Sanitation (W-E-S) nexus, a transdisciplinary framework for addressing complex issues. Interactions among the W-E-S nexus often face desynchronized investments, profit-driven priorities, and compartmentalized management, leading to disconnected policies and increased risks. The case study of São Paulo’s Tietê River Basin, a vital area for water, energy, and sanitation services, highlights challenges like droughts, pollution, poor waste management, and reactive crisis responses, leading to recurring environmental and social issues which underscore the need for a comprehensive approach. Thus, the W-E-S nexus framework offers a pathway to more resilient urban systems through holistic and transdisciplinary planning.