6.1 WEF nexus governance

6.1.1 Contextual Introduction

Governance is a crucial factor in ensuring sustainable resource management. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive frameworks that can support and guide the design and/or evaluation of effective policies. The nexus approach aims for sustainable resource management by increasing synergies and reducing trade-offs between the water, energy, and food sector. However, achieving multi-sectoral management goals does not only require nexus sound solutions (see Learning Unit 07) but also effective institutional coordination and policies across sectors.

One could say that there are two dimensions to the implementation of the WEF-nexus approach:

  1. Understanding and quantifying the physical links between elements and
  2. Understanding the management and governance structures in order to inform decision-making and promote integrated resources management

6.1.2 Why put “governance” into the nexus approach?

The nexus approach serves multiple purposes. This is because the nexus approach is an

→ analytical tool (quantitative and/or qualitative methods to understand interactions among WEF- systems),

→ a conceptual framework (understanding of WEF linkages to promote coherence in policy-making and enhance sustainability),

→ a discourse analysis (used for problem framing)

→ and a governance concept (Albrecht et al., 2018; Wiegleb & Bruns, 2018).

Currently, the scientific discourse on WEF nexus approaches heavily relies on a technical point of view when analyzing problems and suggesting solutions. When working from a socio-ecological point of view, scholars have to take power relations and social inequalities into account. Similarly, Pahl-Wostl et al., 2019 criticized that the WEF nexus assessments neglect the

“power constellations, political economy issues, and transaction costs and how they vary at and across different spatial scales.”

Against this background, Albrecht et al. 2018, stress that a nexus assessment using exclusively quantitative approaches is insufficient to achieve sustainable outcomes. The socially and politically feasible resource management policies are equally relevant.

6.1.3 What is “WEF nexus governance”?

There is no one definition of the term “WEF nexus governance.” However, scientists agree that the goal of nexus governance is the integration and coordination of sectoral policy and management (Pahl-Wostl et al., 2021).

In their review, Urbinatti et al., 2022 identify twenty-four governance-related concepts belonging to the nexus governance literature. These concepts can broadly be divided into eight groups:

  1. water and basin governance
  2. environmental and systems governance
  3. risk and resource security governance
  4. economic governance
  5. global governance
  6. urban governance
  7. integrative and cooperative governance
  8. “epistemic” and transdisciplinary governance

Weitz et al., 2017 also review nexus governance approaches and classified three different perspectives:

  1. technical perspective (based on risk and security arguments)
  2. administrative perspective (based on economic rationality)
  3. political perspective (based on the concerns of equity and power)

All three perspectives hypothesize that cross-sectoral coordination is necessary to (i) manage the interlinkages within the WEF nexus and (ii) to succeed in achieving WEF securities. Moreover, Weitz et al., 2017 highlight that the technical and administrative perspectives cannot explain why coordination does not occur or which barriers to coordination exist.

6.1.3 Example: A Framework to analyze WEF nexus governance

Srigiri & Dombrowsk 2022 (German Development Institute) propose a polycentric framework for analyzing WEF nexus governance. Polycentric governance refers to many centers of decision-making independent of each other. Multiple governing bodies interact and are involved in the decision-making and policy creation.

According to Srigiri & Dombrowsk’, 2022 framework, the two main methodological steps to analyze polycentric WEF-systems are:

  1. Description of critical decision-making units/centers; key resources of focus; institutions (formal and informal rules); possible modes of governance (hierarchies, markets, networks); and how these elements are related to each other
  2. Identify the context under which the actors make decisions and enter into several transactions in generating WEF securities

6.1.4 Current Gaps in nexus governance

According to Urbinatti et al., 2020 there a three critical research gaps in the discussion about nexus governance. First of all, there is a lack of theoretical approaches that define the concept of nexus governance and implementation details. As a result, most authors stress the necessity of nexus governance without clarifying how to implement a nexus sound governance.

Secondly, the nexus governance literature lacks available participatory approaches and methods. For instance, Gain et al. 2015 suggest that ministries should formulate policies in dialogue with stakeholders, experts, professionals, NGOs, and the private sector through participatory approaches. However, these participatory approaches are not readily available and have yet to be developed.

Lastly, the overall visibility for nexus governance or politics is low and thus hinders the development of concepts further (Urbinatti et al., 2020).



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References
Albrecht, T. R., Crootof, A., and Scott, C. A. (2018): The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Systematic Review of Methods for Nexus Assessment. Environmental Research Letter, 13, 1–26. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/aaa9c6

Pahl-Wostl, C., Gorris, P., Jager, N. et al. (2021): Scale-related governance challenges in the water–energy–food nexus: toward a diagnostic approach. Sustainable Science, 16, 615–629. doi:10.1007/s11625-020-00888-6

Urbinatti, A. M., Benites-Lazaro, L. L., Carvalho, C. M. de, & Giatti, L. L. (2020): The conceptual basis of water-energy-food nexus governance: systematic literature review using network and discourse analysis. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, 1–23. doi:10.1080/1943815x.2020.174908

Srigiri, R. & Dombrowsky, I. (2022): Analysing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus From a Polycentric Governance Perspective: Conceptual and Methodological Framework. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10:725116. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2022.725116

Weitz, N., Strambo, C., Kemp-Benedict, E., & Nilsson, M. (2017): Closing the governance gaps in the water-energy-food nexus: Insights from integrative governance. Global Environmental Change, 45, 165–173. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.06.006

Wiegleb, V., & Bruns, A. (2018): What Is Driving the Water-Energy-Food Nexus? Discourses, Knowledge, and Politics of an Emerging Resource Governance Concept. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 6. doi:10.3389/fenvs.2018.00128