How Nexus Thinking can Strengthen Resilience Planning: A case study from India

Keywords: water-energy-food nexus, resilience, sustainable development, Geographic information system
Session Type: Virtual Guided Poster Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 63

Abstract

Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEF) approach analyses synergies and trade-offs and takes a more futuristic stance, while the resilience approach studies shock and stress and makes suggestions using historical trends. Linking both approaches will lead to the sustainable and harmonized development of socio-ecological systems, yet both approaches are being investigated separately. Literature on merging WEF Nexus and Resilience approaches is mainly speculative and small but growing. Major gaps identified are the lack of empirical field data testing, missing opinions of stakeholders on WEF-Resilience, and the scale required to implement the research. This research shows the current resilience scenario and how to improve it; based on the empirical data analysis collected under the purview of WEF Nexus. District level scale has been identified to study the WEF interaction for promoting resilience in the study area. A case study of Banda District is used for household data collection; it comprises eight community development blocks and a municipality. It is prominently rural in character and identified as a backward district of the Bundelkhand region in India. Data analysis is done using the systems approach, and GIS has been used for spatial representation. This study presents the stakeholders' opinions and the grassroots scenarios analysis. It utilizes historical trends, current situation, and Delphi technique to develop future WEF Nexus-based scenarios for better resilience of the study area. The study shows the local level outcomes but can be used and replicated at different scales in and out of India.