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Developing Socio-Techno-Economic-Political (STEP) Solutions for Addressing Resource Nexus Hotspots

Author

Listed:
  • Bassel Daher

    (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
    Water Management and Hydrologic Sciences Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Rabi H. Mohtar

    (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
    Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
    Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon)

  • Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos

    (Texas A&M Energy Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Kent E. Portney

    (The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Ronald Kaiser

    (Water Management and Hydrologic Sciences Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Walid Saad

    (The Bradley Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA)

Abstract

The challenge of meeting increasing water, energy, and food needs is linked not only to growing demands globally, but also to the growing interdependency between these interconnected resource systems. Pressures on these systems will emerge to become hotspots with different characteristics, and will require a fresh look at the challenges existing both within each of the resource systems and at their respective interfaces. Proposing solutions to address different resource hotspots must be multi-faceted and need to acknowledge the multiple dimensions of the biophysical water, energy, and food systems, and the players connected with them. This commentary first explores the multiple dimensions of water, energy, and food systems as these relate to government, business, and society. It then identifies contemporary critical questions at the interface of these stressed resource systems. A 3-Filter framework is then introduced for vetting the feasibility of proposed resource allocation scenarios and to account for the bio-physical resource interactions and trade-offs, the stakeholder interactions and trade-offs, and to address governance and financing schemes for carrying forward the implementation of those scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Bassel Daher & Rabi H. Mohtar & Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos & Kent E. Portney & Ronald Kaiser & Walid Saad, 2018. "Developing Socio-Techno-Economic-Political (STEP) Solutions for Addressing Resource Nexus Hotspots," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-14, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:512-:d:131947
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Juliane Schütt & Katharina Löhr & Michelle Bonatti & Stefan Sieber, 2019. "Conflict Causes and Prevention Strategies at the Society-Science Nexus in Transdisciplinary Collaborative Research Settings: A Case Study of a Food Security Project in Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Yang Zhou & Bo Yang & Jingcheng Han & Yuefei Huang, 2018. "Robust Linear Programming and Its Application to Water and Environmental Decision-Making under Uncertainty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Andrew Kliskey & Paula Williams & David L. Griffith & Virginia H. Dale & Chelsea Schelly & Anna-Maria Marshall & Valoree S. Gagnon & Weston M. Eaton & Kristin Floress, 2021. "Thinking Big and Thinking Small: A Conceptual Framework for Best Practices in Community and Stakeholder Engagement in Food, Energy, and Water Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.

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