A typology of water-energy-food nexus research

The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus was introduced as an approach to address the combined water, energy, and food security challenges of the late 2000s. As an integrated approach, the WEF nexus combines these three resources together to measure and manage the trade-offs, co-benefits, and relationships between them and to integrate collaboration and policy between their related governance sectors. However, scholars have noted that a key challenge in the literature is a lack of a clear and consistent definition of the WEF nexus. With the volume and diversity of WEF nexus publications, a single definition may no longer be sufficient. Therefore, this perspective article addresses this limitation by developing a typology of the WEF nexus to categorize the framings and definitions of WEF nexus research. This typology provides clarity both in designing future WEF nexus research projects and in categorizing existing research. It develops the typology across two categories: the level of integration within the research design (as multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary integration) and the weighting of the three sectors (whether water, energy, and food are all considered equally or whether one sector is emphasized over the other two). By using these two dimensions, this article develops a typology with six categories of the WEF nexus. Scholars may use this typology to accurately and consistently describe and design WEF nexus research within the specific context of their research study. • The term water-energy-food (WEF) nexus needs clearer definitions and framing. • WEF nexus research can be categorized as inter-, multi-, or trans-disciplinary. • WEF nexus research can consider all three sectors equally or emphasize one most. • A typology categorizes the WEF nexus by level of integration and focus of sectors. • The developed typology provides greater clarity for defining the WEF nexus.