The water-food-energy nexus
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Question
What is the water-food-energy nexus?
Answer
The way the three resources are **linked and interdependent**, so securing one affects the other two.
Question
Define resource security.
Answer
Reliable, affordable access to enough water, food and energy.
Question
What is a trade-off in the nexus?
Answer
Gaining one resource at the cost of another (e.g. more biofuel means less food).
Question
How does food production depend on the other two resources?
Answer
Farming needs **water** for irrigation and **energy** for machinery, fertiliser and transport.
Question
How does energy production use water?
Answer
Thermal and nuclear plants need water for **cooling**, and hydropower stores water behind dams.
Question
Give one way securing water can reduce food.
Answer
A dam floods fertile farmland, or irrigation upstream leaves less river water for downstream farms.
Question
Give one way securing energy can reduce food.
Answer
Growing crops for **biofuel** takes land and water away from food.
Question
About what share of freshwater does agriculture use?
Answer
Around **70%** of the world's freshwater.
Question
Name a nexus case study involving two countries.
Answer
The **Nile basin** -- Ethiopia's hydropower dam vs Egypt's downstream farms.
Question
Why does climate change stress the nexus?
Answer
It shifts rainfall and droughts and raises temperatures, cutting water for farms and energy and lowering yields.
Question
Name two drivers (besides climate) that squeeze the nexus.
Answer
**Population growth** and **richer diets** raising demand for all three resources.
Question
What does a [10] 'to what extent' nexus essay need?
Answer
Both sides, **named examples** and a **justified judgement**.
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Full study notes for The water-food-energy nexus
Topic 3.2 hub
Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption (the water-food-energy nexus)
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