The world faces two significant, and sometimes opposing, challenges: 1. providing sustainable supplies of freshwater for human consumption, agricultural irrigation, and ecological needs, and 2. ensuring adequate sources of energy for current and future generations. Water is in greater demand to support the production of biofuels, power hydroelectric plants, and provide cooling water for generation … Read more
The drought in southwestern states has focused attention on water management and the challenges of maintaining urban water uses, ecosystems, and agricultural uses. Groundwater is being relied upon more, but groundwater aquifers are often finite, and their levels are dropping in response to withdrawals. The policies behind U.S. water use reside in both water institutions … Read more
More than two thirds of the world’s people will be living in cities by the year 2050, requiring basic amenities of Food, Energy and Water (FEW). At the global scale, FEW flows are noted to have large impacts on energy & GHG emissions, water sustainability and public health. But little is known about how urban … Read more
This session will explore the diverse ways in which higher education can advance integrated food, energy, and water solutions. Drawing on examples in education and training programs in 2-year and four-year institutions, campus sustainability, training young professionals to support communities and work with local organizations and businesses, and support from the federal government for such … Read more
This symposium will introduce Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) focusing on the UN Statistical Commission’s System of Environmental and Economic Accounts (SEEA) – Experimental Ecosystem Accounts (EEA). Presenters will show how the SEEA–EEA approach is being used to inform policy management and programmatic decisions. Case studies will draw from work addressing the food-energy-water nexus by the … Read more
Since 2011, AGree has engaged more than 2,000 of the best minds in food and agriculture to develop consensus recommendations that will drive positive change. Areas of focus include research, immigration reform, next generation leadership, food and nutrition, local food, international development, working landscapes, and risk management. This session will focus on how AGree is … Read more
This symposium will present analyses from a recently completed national public opinion survey dedicated to water-energy-food nexus issues conducted under the auspices of the Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy at Texas A&M University. Presentations will report on: the extent to which, and ways in which, the general US public seems to understand connections … Read more
The water-energy-food nexus is one important, but as of yet insufficiently explored entry point to improve ecosystem services for people and the environment. The session seeks to explore how the nexus approach can help to secure the sustainable provision and equitable distribution of ecosystem services in various agricultural landscapes across the globe. It aims to … Read more
The confluence of demands and needs posed by the food and energy sectors require efficient water use and water reuse technologies through innovative, integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to address the challenges of food and energy production. Sound management plans and policies by governments and businesses to protect scarce, vital freshwater resources are required. Research innovations … Read more
This session will explore research advances for FEW systems protection, in particular the integration and inter-dependency of heterogeneous data and internet of things signals, uncertainties, climate-risks, for systems-based modeling, verification at the pilot scale, and analysis of the impact of urbanization and anthropogenic disruptions on FEW systems in cities. The session will also address challenges … Read more