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Future demand for water, energy, and food would continue to grow due to increasing population, economic development, and rising living standards, which poses significant challenges to natural resources sustainability and environmental protection. Security of water, energy, food, and environment is essential to sustainable development, as highlighted in 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, e.g., ensuring water and sanitation for all (Goal 6), food security and improved nutrition (Goal 2), affordable and reliable energy (Goal 7), and combating climate change and its impacts (Goal 13). A key element in managing water, environment, energy, and food (WEEF) systems is that they are interconnected and thus form a nexus, i.e., the WEEF nexus, as sketched in the figure below. The sustainability of WEEF security cannot be accomplished without appropriately considering this nexus.
Schematic representation of the water-environment-energy-food nexus interactions among different components, the external drivers and shocks, and factors that affect the sustainability of WEEF security (Singh and Su, 2022)
Water–Energy–Carbon Nexus: Greenhouse gas emissions from integrated urban drainage systems in China
We updated the computable general equilibrium-based System Dynamics and Water Environmental Model (CGE-SyDWEM), a recently developed model simulating the water–energy–carbon nexus at the watershed level, to calculate the direct and indirect (electricity use and external) GHG emissions from IUDSs considering carbon mitigation strategies and water engineering practices. The updated CGE-SyDWEM was applied to an estuary watershed in Shenzhen, the fourth-largest city in China [Su et al., 2023]. The integrated model can aid water, energy, and carbon decision-makers in finding cost-effective solutions for water and energy security in the future.
View more about CGE-SyDWEM model.
Water quality changes during rapid urbanization in the Shenzhen River catchment from the socio-economic and infrastructure development perspective
We investigate the causes of water quality changes over the rapid urbanization period in the Shenzhen River, China, and examine the changes in relation to infrastructure development and socio-economic policies. The results indicate that the water quality deteriorated rapidly during the earlier urbanization stages, and that rapid increases in domestic discharge were the major causes of water quality deterioration. [Qin and Su et al., 2014].
General equilibrium analysis of the co-benefits and trade-offs of Carbon mitigation
We evaluate whether carbon mitigation strategies would decrease or increase local industrial water use and water-related pollutants discharge by using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model coupled with a water withdrawals and pollutants discharge module in Shenzhen, the fourth largest city in China [Su et al., 2019]. This study highlights the importance of considering the energy-water nexus for better-coordinated energy and water resources management at local and national levels.
Results were cited by the IPCC AR6 report [Working Group III, 2022] to illustrate the co-benefits and tradeoffs of carbon mitigation strategies on water systems.
Carbon-energy-water nexus in a rapidly urbanizing catchment
An integrated model (CGE-SyDWEM) is developed to simulate the carbon-energy-water nexus CO2 mitigation strategies are efficient in promoting industrial structure adjustment. CO2 mitigation strategies have co-benefits on water use and pollutant discharge reduction [Su et al., 2018].
An integrated model for water management in a rapidly urbanizing catchment
A novel coupled system dynamics and water environmental model (SyDWEM) was developed to assess effects of socio-economic and engineering measures, which provides a tool for integrated decision making in water management [Su et al., 2009; Qin and Su et al., 2011; Qin and Su et al., 2013].
Environmental and ecological impacts of water supplement schemes in a heavily polluted estuary
Reclaimed water and seawater schemes are used to improve estuary water quality. Reclaimed water scheme decreases salinity and has little impact on mangrove growth. Seawater scheme increases salinity and has significant impact on mangrove growth. We provide a holistic view on water quality and ecological impacts of the schemes.[Su et al., 2013].
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