How the Nexus of Water/Food/Energy can be Seen with the Perspective of People well being and the Italian BES Framework

Abstract

According to the latest OECD Global Forum on Environment “Water, food and energy are crucial for sustainable long term economic growth and human wellbeing” and crucial is the identification of the strong linkages between all three. As the UN has spotted out agriculture is currently the largest user of water at the global level, accounting for 70% of total withdrawal while the food production and supply chain accounts for about 30% of total global energy consumption. Besides, according to the global population dynamic, projected to increase by 2050 up to 9 billion people along with a 70% increase in food production, the resource competition is turning out to become a fundamental issue. To this extent the inter-linkages analysis within the nexus and the role-played by institutions and policies to handle effectively this resources competition is a challenging food for thought. In addition currently discussion on SDGs is taking in consideration all the three dimensions and wellbeing of people.

To this purpose the aim of this work is to deal with the nexus through the lens of the Italian BES (Benessere Equo e Sostenibile) modeling framework. In particular focusing on food, considered as the primary need more strictly related to the wellbeing achievement, all the linkages available with water and energy would be investigated. The analysis will rely on the existing BES domains and indicators and on other possible measures, which can fit the nexus within the BES model.