“Thinking beyond water: a nexus perspective for sustainable agri-food systems” by Alok Sikka and Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi at the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference. A recording of the presentation can be found on the conference playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSBeKOIXsg3JNyPowwJj6NDSpx4vlnCYj.

1. Thinking beyond water: a nexus
perspective for sustainable
agri-food systems
Alok Sikka & Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi
International Water Management Institute
10/May/2023

2. Centrality of water in sustainable agri-food systems
- Agriculture currently uses 70% of freshwater
resources globally, (~90% and 80% in South Asia and
Africa)
- Globally, about 38% of irrigated area is under
groundwater irrigation, and it’s growing fast
- Increasing energy use in agri-food sector
- Challenges
- Climate change worsening water security
- Competing water demands from sectors
- Widening water supply-demand gap
- Impacting agri-food system
- Managing water –the entry point for agri-food
system, requires holistic thinking beyond water
Projected Risks to Agriculture (IPCC)
• ~11% croplands vulnerable to
climate-driven water scarcity by
2050
• ~12% yield reduction by 2100
(RCP4.5)
• increased flood losses
• Limitations to irrigation expansion
• 20% alternative water sources for
snowmelt-fed irrigation (2o)

3. Thinking beyond water-with a holistic approach
• Water management interventions – not just an
engineering approach to provide water resource
• but it calls for– an integrated approach of converting
Means into Ends, requiring systemic integration with
production and livelihood support systems and
demand side management
1. Community Water Stewardship
2. Participatory Water Use Planning
3. Crop and Nutrient Management
4. Climate Resilient
Agricultural/farming Practices
5. Integrated farming Systems
including Multiple water Use for
enhancing Water productivity
Farm diversification by a
marginal farmer
Monitoring Ground
Water
Mulching Drip irrigation

4. Thinking beyond water- with a WEF nexus lens
• Water cannot be managed in isolation as it’s affected
by decisions in food, energy and other sectors
• Sustainability concerns of water, energy, and input-
intensive agri-food systems have increased the
realization for dealing with complex systemic
problems
• This calls for nexus planning, considering broader
systemic issues and promote a sustainable, equitable,
inclusive transition and resilient food systems
• The interconnectedness between water, energy, and
food makes the concept of WEF nexus more relevant
to explore integrated solutions to efficient use of
limited and/or declining water and energy resources
Realizing Multiple Benefits Across Water,
Energy, Food and Ecosystems

5. Integrated WEF nexus-based approach to appraise
performance of irrigation systems-an example
Integrated WEF nexus
performance of irrigation
systems in (a) dry, (b)
temperate, and (c) tropical
climates; impacts of
irrigation modernisation on
the water, energy, and
food performance from a
silo approach in (d) dry,
(e) temperate, and (f)
tropical climates; and
impacts of irrigation
modernisation on the WEF
nexus in (g) dry, (h)
temperate, and (i) tropical
climates.

6. What we want from this session?
• The session will discuss a water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus perspective to
understand the drivers of food systems' unsustainability, trade-offs and synergies for
food systems transformation.
• The essence of WEFE nexus planning is the capability to examine the multi-causality of
dynamic processes within a complex system, including food systems.
• Research Questions for discussion:
• What are the key drivers of food systems' unsustainability, trade-offs and synergies?
• What are the key barriers and potential pathways for harnessing WEFE nexus
synergies to inform a transition to sustainable agri-food systems?
• What policy changes and capacity, keeping view of political economy, are needed to
create an enabling environment to make the WEFE nexus relevant for food systems
transformation?
• How can the WEFE nexus be an enabler, e.g. water as an enabler for food, and
energy as an enabler for water and food for sustainable irrigation policy and
management?
• What WEFE investments are necessary in the smallholder farming and farmer-led
irrigation development in view of climate change impacts?

7. Thank You
a.sikka@cgiar.org
t.mabhaudhi@cgiar.org