Integrated Watershed Management
Vis-a-Vis Water–Energy–Food Nexus
Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi and Ehsan Sharifi Moghadam
Abstract Iran, like most of the developing countries in the world, faces many issues
with limiting water, energy, and food resources. On the other hand, the state of the
watersheds is being destroyed due to the imbalance between human and the environment leading to different environmental, social, economic, and political consequences. This requires a change of mindset so that we can understand what we do
every day on the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. Balance establishment among
various main components of the ecosystems based on the WEF nexus approach
is considered as one of the important parts of integrated and adaptive watershed
management. This chapter briefly discusses on the concept, standards, and methods
of the WEF nexus. An example of the application of the WEF nexus will also be
presented from Iran exploring the interconnections between chapters of the nexus
and integrated watershed management approaches. From the results and existing
evidence, it can be concluded that the WEF nexus would be a practical, adjustable,
and adaptive approach for fulfilling increasing demands of the human while there is a
glance to limited resources. Based on the available literatures and the case study done
by the authors, it can be ultimately concluded that the adoption of the WEF nexus
would facilitate better achievements in integrated management of the watersheds.
Keywords Energy security · Food security · Integrated watershed management ·
Soil and water conservation · Sustainable development · Water–energy–food nexus
S. H. Sadeghi (B) · E. Sharifi Moghadam
Department of Watershed Management Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine
Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 46417-76489 Noor, Iran
e-mail: sadeghi@modares.ac.ir
E. Sharifi Moghadam
e-mail: ehsan.sharifi@modares.ac.ir
E. Sharifi Moghadam
Natural Resources and Watershed Management Office, Firoozkooh Township, Tehran Province,
Iran
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), The Water–Energy–Food Nexus,
Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0239-9_3
69
Vis-a-Vis Water–Energy–Food Nexus
Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi and Ehsan Sharifi Moghadam
Abstract Iran, like most of the developing countries in the world, faces many issues
with limiting water, energy, and food resources. On the other hand, the state of the
watersheds is being destroyed due to the imbalance between human and the environment leading to different environmental, social, economic, and political consequences. This requires a change of mindset so that we can understand what we do
every day on the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. Balance establishment among
various main components of the ecosystems based on the WEF nexus approach
is considered as one of the important parts of integrated and adaptive watershed
management. This chapter briefly discusses on the concept, standards, and methods
of the WEF nexus. An example of the application of the WEF nexus will also be
presented from Iran exploring the interconnections between chapters of the nexus
and integrated watershed management approaches. From the results and existing
evidence, it can be concluded that the WEF nexus would be a practical, adjustable,
and adaptive approach for fulfilling increasing demands of the human while there is a
glance to limited resources. Based on the available literatures and the case study done
by the authors, it can be ultimately concluded that the adoption of the WEF nexus
would facilitate better achievements in integrated management of the watersheds.
Keywords Energy security · Food security · Integrated watershed management ·
Soil and water conservation · Sustainable development · Water–energy–food nexus
S. H. Sadeghi (B) · E. Sharifi Moghadam
Department of Watershed Management Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine
Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 46417-76489 Noor, Iran
e-mail: sadeghi@modares.ac.ir
E. Sharifi Moghadam
e-mail: ehsan.sharifi@modares.ac.ir
E. Sharifi Moghadam
Natural Resources and Watershed Management Office, Firoozkooh Township, Tehran Province,
Iran
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), The Water–Energy–Food Nexus,
Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0239-9_3
69