A bibliometric analysis of water-energy-food nexus approach to wastewater treatment and reuse

Wastewater contains water, energy, and nutrients that can be recovered to reduce pressure on available resources and promote food security. This potential is often neglected partly because of the lack of understanding of the synergies and tradeoffs between the three resources. Integrating the wastewater treatment process into the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus framework can strengthen the understanding between these three resources. This study used bibliometric analysis to explore the trends in publication and thematic evolution between 2000 and 2024 from the Scopus database. The bibliometrics R-package and VOSviewer software were used for bibliometric analysis and science mapping. Findings suggest that the wastewater treatment process has evolved from eliminating and disposing of organic matter and nutrients to recovering resources, suggesting a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. Despite these transitions, the study found that the integration of the wastewater treatment process into the WEF nexus framework was not seriously investigated by researchers in South Africa, suggesting a potential gap in the literature that needs to be addressed. More studies are required to understand the ramifications and chain value of WEF resources to strengthen the WEF implementation in South Africa.