NexusAsia - Water-energy-food nexus: a cross-sectoral analysis of large Asian river basins

Research summary

NexusAsia is a 2-year research project funded by the Academy of Finland. The full name of the project is ‘Water-energy-food nexus: a cross-sectoral analysis of large Asian river basins’. The research thus looks at in analytical and cross-sectoral manner the management of water and related natural resources in large Asian river basins, with a focus on transboundary settings shared by several countries.

Description

The research takes as its conceptual starting point the so-called water-energy-food (security) nexus approach, which focuses on the interconnections between water, food and energy and their related security aspects (e.g. Hoff 2011; World Economic Forum 2011; Bach et al. 2012; European Union 2012; Granit et al. 2013; Jalilov et al. 2013; Keskinen et al. 2013; Kattelus et al. 2013; UNESCAP 2013; Allouche et al. 2014).

While we consider these three aspects –or sectors– in many ways overlapping, the key themes under each sector are planned to include the following: water resources management, including related ecosystem services; energy planning and policies, with emphasis on hydropower; and food production systems, including fisheries, irrigation and cropland management.

The key outcome of the project will be a Journal Special Issue to be published in 2015 by Water journal.

The NexusAsia research builds on and extends our earlier research related to the water resources management in large Asian river basins, including research projects on IWRM-LAB, Exploring Tonle Sap Futures, CPWF Mekong Basin Development Challenge, and Central Asian Waters.

More information

Project information

Research info

Research title
NexusAsia - Water-energy-food nexus: a cross-sectoral analysis of large Asian river basins

Research timeline
1.1.2014 - 1.9.2015

Keywords
integrated approaches interdisciplinarity science-policy-stakeholder interaction transboundary waters water resources management water-energy-food nexus

Region
Asia

Countries
Finland

Institution
Aalto University
Water & Development Research Group, Finland

Funding instrument
Academy of Finland

Project budget
200,000 - 500,000 euros

Head of research
Professor Olli Varis

Research team
Marko Keskinen, Olli Varis, Shokhrukh Jalilov

Contact information
Marko Keskinen
+358503824626
marko.keskinen@aalto.fi
Open link

Record last updated
16.6.2015