Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus

The nexus approach has the potential to

• Consider interlink ages between relevant disciplines (or utilize synergisms),
• Improve the current coordination of management as well as policy interventions even under future challenges.

No transparency in decision-making processes, a high share of transboundary hydrological basins, missing compatibility of current policies to accommodate the nexus (e.g. trade policies vs. agricultural policies) are relevant features in Africa to be overcome by improving the coordination throughout the scales and levels of decision-making via a nexus approach. Adapting the nexus approach to the African context supported by science-based information is essential for addressing water scarcity, achieving the sustainable energy supply goals, unfolding Africa’s tremendous potential for food production (looking at currently low yield levels) under the actually complex and even more challenging situation (climate, water supply-demand, land-use changes, urbanization) in the future, and conceiving sustainable poverty alleviation strategies.