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

Mercure, Jean-François, Paim, Maria-Augusta, Bocquillon, Pierre ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7384-4384, Lindner, Soeren, Salas, Pablo, Martinelli, Paula, Berchin, Issa, de Andrade Guerra, José Baltazar, Derani, Cristiane, de Albuquerque Junior, Celso, Ribeiro, Joao, Knobloch, Florian, Pollitt, Hector, Edwards, Neil, Holden, Philip, Foley, Aideen, Schaphoff, S., Faraco, Rafael and Vinuales, Jorge (2019) System complexity and policy integration challenges: The Brazilian Energy-Water-Food Nexus. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 105. pp. 230-243. ISSN 1364-0321

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 11 - sustainable cities and communities,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 15 - life on land ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/sustainable_cities_and_communities
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies (former - to 2024) University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Political, Social and International Studies Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Competition Policy Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Policy & Politics University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	11 Feb 2019 09:30
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2024 13:55
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/69901
DOI:	10.1016/j.rser.2019.01.045

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