UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus: how to frame and how to govern

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1007/s11625-025-01691-x

Authors

Caro Eline Mooren · Stefania Munaretto · Isabelle La Jeunesse · Eva Sievers · D.L.T. Hegger · Petrus Paulus Joseph Driessen · Frank Hüesker · Claudia Cirelli · Ingrid Canovas · Kaoutar Mounir · Jonatan Godinez Madrigal

Reported year

2025

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:09:16.191735+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:09:16.191735+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

CItés, Territoires, Environnement et Sociétés · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research · IHE Delft Institute for Water Education · IMT Mines Alès · KWR Water Research Institute · Leiden University · Université Côte d'Azur · Université de Tours · Utrecht University · Étude des Structures, des Processus d’Adaptation et des Changements de l’Espace

Documentary abstract — original language

Abstract The food, energy, and water domains are strongly interrelated. The body of literature investigating these interlinkages developed into water–energy–food and, more recently, ecosystem (WEFE) nexus thinking. The WEFE nexus is concerned with cross-sectoral resource management requiring dedicated WEFE governance approaches. Among the existing WEFE nexus conceptualizations, the one that places the ecosystem at the center emphasizes the importance of ecosystem services for human well-being and as the basis for the functioning of the water, energy, and food domains. Such conceptualization, however, lacks clear definition and explanation of implications for WEFE nexus governance as well as practical tools for implementation. Accordingly, based on an in-depth analysis of WEFE nexus interlinkages, associated governance challenges, and practical experience, we propose the WEFE Nexus Governance Approach as an operationalization of the ecosystem-centric WEFE nexus conceptual framework. This approach takes policy coherence and stakeholder co-creation at its core, integrated with quantitative modeling of WEFE nexus interlinkages, and is organized in four steps: problem identification; formulation of substantive ambitions through stakeholder dialogue; embedding of ambitions and action into a stakeholder agreement; and implementation of actions. The approach is oriented to practical application and can be implemented by any actor (e.g., research institutes, governments, non-governmental organizations) having the ambition to initiate a stakeholders co-creation process toward nexus governance in a specific context. Furthermore, it can be applied to different scales and nexus domains depending on the identified nexus problems, while accounting for the vital role of ecosystem services. The approach’s applicability and needs for future research are discussed. Graphical abstract

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W4410816392

DOI

10.1007/s11625-025-01691-x

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Natural entities mentioned

Ecosystem

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01691-x
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W4410816392

Documented bibliographic relations

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• openalex:w2071974754 · CITES

0 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

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