An evaluation of infrastructure systems to foster the food-energywater (f-e-w) nexus: the case of Botswana

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss the significance of recognising the intertwined nature of the Food, Energy, and Water (F-E-W) resources for comprehensive planning and management towards achieving sustainable development. Botswana is a land-locked country subjected to harsh climatic conditions and rapid urbanization which exacerbates the food, energy, and water resource insecurities and increases the demand for the resources. Despite such challenges, the F-E-W resource sectors are governed and managed in the conventional approach by addressing the respective resources as silos. The conventional silo thinking and practice is not sustainable and impacts the nation's resilience to resource scarcity. Overlooking the F-E-W interlinkages presents a ripple effect from the actions taken in one resource affecting the others. Botswana policy, decision-makers, and practitioners operate on silo thinking due to limited understanding and limitations of the siloed nature of the policy framework. The research argues that analyzing and understanding the F-E-W resources' interconnectedness is critical to attaining trade-off mitigation and fueling the synergies for sustainable development. The research report reviews the current nexus concept, theoretical underpinning, and Botswana national policies to explore the current status, challenges, and opportunities to achieve F-E-W nexus-oriented solutions implementation in Botswana.