System complexity and policy integration challenges: The Brazilian Energy- Water-Food Nexus

Mercure, J.-F.; Paim, M.A.; Bocquillon, P.; Lindner, S.; Salas, P.; Martinelli, P.; Berchin, I.I.; de Andrade Guerra, J.B.S.O; Derani, C.; de Albuquerque Junior, C.L.; Ribeiro, J.M.P.; Knobloch, F.; Pollitt, H.; Edwards, N.R.; Holden, P.B.; Foley, A.; Schaphoff, S.; Faraco, R.A.; Vinuales, J.E.

Abstract

The Energy-Water-Food Nexus is one of the most complex sustainability challenges faced by the world. This is particularly true in Brazil, where insufficiently understood interactions within the Nexus are contributing to large-scale deforestation and land-use change, water and energy scarcity, and increased vulnerability to climate change. The reason is a combination of global environmental change and global economic change, putting unprecedented pressures on the Brazilian environment and ecosystems. In this paper, we identify and discuss the main Nexus challenges faced by Brazil across sectors (e.g. energy, agriculture, water) and scales (e.g. federal, state, municipal). We use four case studies to explore all nodes of the Nexus. For each, we analyse data from economic and biophysical modelling sources in combination with an overview of the legislative and policy landscape, in order to identify governance shortcomings in the context of growing challenges. We analyse the complex interdependence of developments at the global and local (Brazilian) levels, highlighting the impact of global environmental and economic change on Brazil and, conversely, that of developments in Brazil for other countries and the world. We conclude that there is a need to adjust the scientific approach to these challenges as an enabling condition for stronger science-policy bridges for sustainability policy-making.

Citation

Mercure, J.-F., Paim, M., Bocquillon, P., Lindner, S., Salas, P., Martinelli, P., Berchin, I., de Andrade Guerra, J., Derani, C., de Albuquerque Junior, C., Ribeiro, J., Knobloch, F., Pollitt, H., Edwards, N., Holden, P., Foley, A., Schaphoff, S., Faraco, R., & Vinuales, J. (2019). System complexity and policy integration challenges: The Brazilian Energy- Water-Food Nexus. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 105, 230-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.01.045

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 17, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Feb 7, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Deposit Date: May 3, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 6, 2025
• Journal: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
• Print ISSN: 1364-0321
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-0690
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 105
• Pages: 230-243
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.01.045
• Keywords: Science-based policy, Energy-water-food nexus, Water scarcity, Climate change, Land-use change, Biofuels, Food security
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/48502784
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032119300498?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: System complexity and policy integration challenges: The Brazilian Energy- Water-Food Nexus; Journal Title: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2019.01.045; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.