Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh
In pursuit of continuous economic development, Bangladesh has undertaken long-term plans to boost its productivity in the agriculture, energy, and industrial sectors and to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unless these strong interconnections and cross sectoral imp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/3/366 |
| _version_ | 1797417394021335040 |
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| author | Mohammad Nahidul Karim Bassel Daher |
| author_facet | Mohammad Nahidul Karim Bassel Daher |
| author_sort | Mohammad Nahidul Karim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In pursuit of continuous economic development, Bangladesh has undertaken long-term plans to boost its productivity in the agriculture, energy, and industrial sectors and to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unless these strong interconnections and cross sectoral impacts are recognized, achievement of the future policy goals and national priorities of the concerned ministries regarding food self-sufficiency, cleaner energy sources, and water availability will be compromised. This study focuses on evaluating the impacts of cross-sectoral policy decisions on the interconnected resource systems at a national scale in Bangladesh. A quantitative analysis is performed to identify resource requirements, synergies, and trade-offs related to a set of future strategies. The analysis concludes by showing that land is the most limiting resource for future expansion and that fresh water will become a critical resource if alternative sources of water are not explored, and, that energy generation, if coal and other fossil fuels are favored over alternative energy sources, will significantly add to the total carbon emissions. Given the limitations of land available for agricultural expansion, of renewable water resources, and the challenges in meeting increasing water, energy, and food demands, the strong interdependencies among the interconnected resource systems must be accounted for. The SDG and national priority indicators are found to improve under scenarios for which resources are conserved via alternative sources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:19:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c44a6769f8574f15bb53899fe1839c8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:19:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-c44a6769f8574f15bb53899fe1839c8e2023-12-03T11:50:31ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-01-0113336610.3390/w13030366Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of BangladeshMohammad Nahidul Karim0Bassel Daher1Texas AM Energy Institute, Texas AM University, College Station, TX 77843, USATexas AM Energy Institute, Texas AM University, College Station, TX 77843, USAIn pursuit of continuous economic development, Bangladesh has undertaken long-term plans to boost its productivity in the agriculture, energy, and industrial sectors and to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unless these strong interconnections and cross sectoral impacts are recognized, achievement of the future policy goals and national priorities of the concerned ministries regarding food self-sufficiency, cleaner energy sources, and water availability will be compromised. This study focuses on evaluating the impacts of cross-sectoral policy decisions on the interconnected resource systems at a national scale in Bangladesh. A quantitative analysis is performed to identify resource requirements, synergies, and trade-offs related to a set of future strategies. The analysis concludes by showing that land is the most limiting resource for future expansion and that fresh water will become a critical resource if alternative sources of water are not explored, and, that energy generation, if coal and other fossil fuels are favored over alternative energy sources, will significantly add to the total carbon emissions. Given the limitations of land available for agricultural expansion, of renewable water resources, and the challenges in meeting increasing water, energy, and food demands, the strong interdependencies among the interconnected resource systems must be accounted for. The SDG and national priority indicators are found to improve under scenarios for which resources are conserved via alternative sources.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/3/366sustainable development goalsnational prioritieswater-energy-food nexustrade-offscross-sectoral planning |
| spellingShingle | Mohammad Nahidul Karim Bassel Daher Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh Water sustainable development goals national priorities water-energy-food nexus trade-offs cross-sectoral planning |
| title | Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh |
| title_full | Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh |
| title_short | Evaluating the Potential of a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approach toward the Sustainable Development of Bangladesh |
| title_sort | evaluating the potential of a water energy food nexus approach toward the sustainable development of bangladesh |
| topic | sustainable development goals national priorities water-energy-food nexus trade-offs cross-sectoral planning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/3/366 |
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