592
is largely responsible for the cooperation embodied in the Sustainable Development
Goals (Sect. 3.7) and climate change (Chap. 11).
Chapter 5 (Economics) provides several tools to identify who gains and who
loses under alternative scenarios, an important way to understand the incentives
needed to attain cooperation. As noted in that Chapter, market incentives can be
created to promote cooperation. Examples of incentives include assignment of private rights to property in place of property held in common, taxes on pollutants and
inefficiencies, or the provision of subsidies for systemically beneficial practices.
The extensive system of cooperative international trading in FEW commodities
described in Chap. 7 is largely a result of joining economic tools of cooperation
with international governance structures supporting cooperation. Cooperative trading of FEW commodities supports FEW security but also achieves mutual economic benefits through the application of comparative advantage.
Chapter 10 (Infrastructure) noted that FEW infrastructures are sources of cooperation or conflict regionally and between nation-states. Chapters 18–20 of the book
argue for the centrality of cities, watersheds, and conflicts as the most important
contexts of application of FEW Nexus thinking. Cities are hubs of wealth, consumption, and knowledge, and have the power to dramatically alter human behavior
and system function through their many economic and social connections.
Watersheds are hydro-political units that integrate water governance, land use, food
production, transportation, and water management, and are therefore a significant
opportunity for FEW Nexus applications. Human conflicts at all scales often touch
on (or are caused by) the FEW Nexus, and the presence of conflict presents great
opportunities and risks for the application of Nexus thinking.
21.3 Opportunities
The core opportunity of work at the food–energy–water nexus is the opportunity to
develop and improve tools in science, engineering, communication, stakeholder
collaboration, decision-making, policy, governance, and conflict management that
support the achievement of nexus goals. Many case studies and illustrations of this
opportunity set are included in this book to inspire solutions.
New science and practice must be understood in the context of both the biophysical environment and the socio-economic-political environment. It is important to
recognize that gaps in our understanding of both exist for four primary reasons.
First, it is frequently, and inaccurately, assumed that sufficient use-inspired research
has already been completed to support sound science-based decision-making leading to practical interventions. Second, the interactions between human activities and
biophysical systems have had both positive and negative consequences for different
interests. Third, the complexity of coupled human-natural systems makes separation of causes and effects difficult—every effect is also a cause, and every cause is
also an effect. Finally, the scale and complexity of biophysical systems make it difficult to forecast accurately all the impacts of human attempts to influence a given
B. Kinne et al.
is largely responsible for the cooperation embodied in the Sustainable Development
Goals (Sect. 3.7) and climate change (Chap. 11).
Chapter 5 (Economics) provides several tools to identify who gains and who
loses under alternative scenarios, an important way to understand the incentives
needed to attain cooperation. As noted in that Chapter, market incentives can be
created to promote cooperation. Examples of incentives include assignment of private rights to property in place of property held in common, taxes on pollutants and
inefficiencies, or the provision of subsidies for systemically beneficial practices.
The extensive system of cooperative international trading in FEW commodities
described in Chap. 7 is largely a result of joining economic tools of cooperation
with international governance structures supporting cooperation. Cooperative trading of FEW commodities supports FEW security but also achieves mutual economic benefits through the application of comparative advantage.
Chapter 10 (Infrastructure) noted that FEW infrastructures are sources of cooperation or conflict regionally and between nation-states. Chapters 18–20 of the book
argue for the centrality of cities, watersheds, and conflicts as the most important
contexts of application of FEW Nexus thinking. Cities are hubs of wealth, consumption, and knowledge, and have the power to dramatically alter human behavior
and system function through their many economic and social connections.
Watersheds are hydro-political units that integrate water governance, land use, food
production, transportation, and water management, and are therefore a significant
opportunity for FEW Nexus applications. Human conflicts at all scales often touch
on (or are caused by) the FEW Nexus, and the presence of conflict presents great
opportunities and risks for the application of Nexus thinking.
21.3 Opportunities
The core opportunity of work at the food–energy–water nexus is the opportunity to
develop and improve tools in science, engineering, communication, stakeholder
collaboration, decision-making, policy, governance, and conflict management that
support the achievement of nexus goals. Many case studies and illustrations of this
opportunity set are included in this book to inspire solutions.
New science and practice must be understood in the context of both the biophysical environment and the socio-economic-political environment. It is important to
recognize that gaps in our understanding of both exist for four primary reasons.
First, it is frequently, and inaccurately, assumed that sufficient use-inspired research
has already been completed to support sound science-based decision-making leading to practical interventions. Second, the interactions between human activities and
biophysical systems have had both positive and negative consequences for different
interests. Third, the complexity of coupled human-natural systems makes separation of causes and effects difficult—every effect is also a cause, and every cause is
also an effect. Finally, the scale and complexity of biophysical systems make it difficult to forecast accurately all the impacts of human attempts to influence a given
B. Kinne et al.