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T. Mabhaudhi et al.
sources such as shale gas or coalbed methane. Water is required to enable drilling
and hydraulic fracturing, and it is a very scarce resource in the arid, semi-desert
Karoo, leading to concern about the impact of these energy generation methodologies on the quality and quantity of groundwater. Water resource systems and the
supporting infrastructure within the Karoo are already extremely strained: only 14%
(16 million m
3 ) of the storage capacity of the Welbedacht Dam is currently available due to unmitigated siltation (Ololade et al. 2017). Smaller towns in the Karoo
generally depend on groundwater supply, which amplifies the potential threat that
unconventional oil and gas (UOG) operations present (Ololade et al. 2017).
2 Methodology
A framework for analysis of the WEF trade-offs was developed by stakeholders
during a consultative workshop. Existing WEF nexus frameworks were examined
to ascertain their applicability to South Africa . Based on the literature review
1 , 20
frameworks were identified and screened, leaving 18 frameworks for assessment for
their applicability to the WEF ecosystem of South Africa based onAfricamultiple
factors:
• Inclusion of all WEF nexus sectors, with equal weight to water, energy, and food;
• Comprehensive consideration of the economic and demographic drivers of change
(industrialization, global climate change, population growth, urbanization);
• Applicability to the economic and demographic circumstances of South Africa
(based on the above drivers of change);
• Applicability to other socio-economic, environmental, and technical characteristics of South Africa (livelihoods [rural poverty], data requirements, sectoral
compartmentalization [governance/policy], fossil fuels, etc.);
• Integration of the framework among the different sectors;
• Breadth of sectors considered, e.g., environment/ecosystems, land, climate
change, livelihoods, waste management, recycling/reuse;
• Integration of the SDGs and MDGs; and
• Innovation and infrastructure, e.g., power stations, improved technology.
A ranking template was applied, giving each framework a score (on a ten-point
scale) based on its relevance to the established criteria. The South African framework
was adapted from the most relevant of the frameworks based on the above-stated
criteria. Those selected are discussed in detail in Sect. 3.1.
A specific aim South Africa was to yield a framework linking the WEF nexus
to the SDGs, particularly SDGs 2, 6, and 7. Land is a key consideration in South
1 Search words such as WEF nexus model, WEF nexus frameworks, WEF nexus tools, WEF nexus
analytical tools, WEF nexus governance, WEF nexus synergies and trade-offs, WEF nexus sustainability indicators, WEF nexus application, WEF nexus data, WEF nexus operationalisation, WEF
nexus case studies, and WEF nexus financing were searched in Google.
T. Mabhaudhi et al.
sources such as shale gas or coalbed methane. Water is required to enable drilling
and hydraulic fracturing, and it is a very scarce resource in the arid, semi-desert
Karoo, leading to concern about the impact of these energy generation methodologies on the quality and quantity of groundwater. Water resource systems and the
supporting infrastructure within the Karoo are already extremely strained: only 14%
(16 million m
3 ) of the storage capacity of the Welbedacht Dam is currently available due to unmitigated siltation (Ololade et al. 2017). Smaller towns in the Karoo
generally depend on groundwater supply, which amplifies the potential threat that
unconventional oil and gas (UOG) operations present (Ololade et al. 2017).
2 Methodology
A framework for analysis of the WEF trade-offs was developed by stakeholders
during a consultative workshop. Existing WEF nexus frameworks were examined
to ascertain their applicability to South Africa . Based on the literature review
1 , 20
frameworks were identified and screened, leaving 18 frameworks for assessment for
their applicability to the WEF ecosystem of South Africa based onAfricamultiple
factors:
• Inclusion of all WEF nexus sectors, with equal weight to water, energy, and food;
• Comprehensive consideration of the economic and demographic drivers of change
(industrialization, global climate change, population growth, urbanization);
• Applicability to the economic and demographic circumstances of South Africa
(based on the above drivers of change);
• Applicability to other socio-economic, environmental, and technical characteristics of South Africa (livelihoods [rural poverty], data requirements, sectoral
compartmentalization [governance/policy], fossil fuels, etc.);
• Integration of the framework among the different sectors;
• Breadth of sectors considered, e.g., environment/ecosystems, land, climate
change, livelihoods, waste management, recycling/reuse;
• Integration of the SDGs and MDGs; and
• Innovation and infrastructure, e.g., power stations, improved technology.
A ranking template was applied, giving each framework a score (on a ten-point
scale) based on its relevance to the established criteria. The South African framework
was adapted from the most relevant of the frameworks based on the above-stated
criteria. Those selected are discussed in detail in Sect. 3.1.
A specific aim South Africa was to yield a framework linking the WEF nexus
to the SDGs, particularly SDGs 2, 6, and 7. Land is a key consideration in South
1 Search words such as WEF nexus model, WEF nexus frameworks, WEF nexus tools, WEF nexus
analytical tools, WEF nexus governance, WEF nexus synergies and trade-offs, WEF nexus sustainability indicators, WEF nexus application, WEF nexus data, WEF nexus operationalisation, WEF
nexus case studies, and WEF nexus financing were searched in Google.