International Journal of Agriculture and Food Security ISSN:   0812-3497 Vol. 5(3), pp. 125-167, June, 2018 . © Advanced Scholars Journals

Review Paper

Food security challenges: Impact of energy- water- climate change Nexus for sustainable development

Dr. A.N.Sarkar

Ex-Senior Professor (International Business) & Dean (Research), Asia-Pacific Institute of

Management, 3& 4 Institutional Areas, Jasola (Sarita Vihar), New Delhi

E.mail: [email protected]

Accepted 28 May, 2018.

Abstract 

Water, energy and food are essential for human well-being, poverty reduction and sustainable development. Global projections indicate that demand for freshwater, energy and food will increase significantly over the next decades under the pressure of population growth and mobility, economic development, international trade, urbanisation, diversifying diets, cultural and technological changes, and climate change (Hoff , 2011). Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of total global freshwater withdrawals, making it the largest user of water. Water is used for agricultural production, forestry and fishery, along the entire agri-food supply chain, and it is used to produce or transport energy in different forms (FAO, 2011a). At the same time, the food production and supply chain consumes about 30 percent of total energy consumed globally (FAO, 2011b). Energy is required to produce, transport and distribute food as well as to extract, pump, lift, collect, transport and treat water. Cities, industry and other users, too, claim increasingly more water, energy and land resources, and at the same time, face problems of environmental degradation and in some cases, resources scarcity. This situation is expected to be exacerbated in the near future as 60 percent more food will need to be produced in order to feed the world population in 2050. Global energy consumption is projected to grow by up to 50 percent by 2035 (IEA, 2010). Total global water withdrawals for irrigation are projected to increase by 10 percent by 2050 (FAO, 2011a).As water becomes scarce, and competition is growing between the energy and agricultural sectors, there is still a lack of reliable and policy-relevant data and information to guide water allocation choices. Effective crosssectoral consultation mechanisms are needed to ensure the development of concerted efforts to address this problem, and to make sure that decisions on water release and allocation are taken as part of an integrated, long-term and multi-sectoral strategy. As demand grows, there is increasing competition for resources between water, energy, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry, mining, transport and other sectors with unpredictable impacts for livelihoods and the environment (FAO, 2011c). Large-scale water infrastructure projects, for instance, may have synergetic impacts, producing hydropower and providing water storage for irrigation and urban uses. However, this might happen at the expense of downstream agro-ecological systems and with social implications, such as resettlements. Similarly, growing bioenergy crops in an irrigated agriculture scheme may help improve energy supply and generate employment opportunities, but it may also result in increased competition for land and water resources with impacts on local food security. In this paper, we will discuss the emerging Food-Security challenges at the Global as well as local levels, giving due recognition to the various impacts posed by Energy-Water- Climate Change nexus. By describing the complex and interrelated nature of our global resource systems, the Nexus approach helps us to better understand and systematically analyze how we can use and manage our resources in light of different, often competing interests and goals.

Keyword: Food security, energy-water-climate, Nexus approach, bioenergy crops, environmental degradation.