Systematic Literature Review of the Water-Energy- Food Nexus: An Overview of the Field

Water, energy and food are vital resources for human well-being, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. The study of each of the resources mentioned presents its own individual complexity and when considering the interrelationships between them, this becomes more complex. The interconnection of these resources is known as the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEF Nexus), and represents a framework that captures the interrelationships, synergies and trade-offs between the demand for water, energy and food in the context of threats, emerging constraints and development sustainable in particular regions or systems. Water, energy and food are limited but critical resources for human and natural systems and are being depleted at a faster rate than the planet can replenish. The WEF Nexus has become an essential approach to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mainly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 7 (Clean and Affordable Energy). This work presents an exhaustive and systematic review of the literature on the WEF Nexus in the 2008-2020 period, addressing the articles published in journals, conferences and technical reports where the case studies carried out, the proposed methodologies and the types of data are analyzed that are required in the different models. This will achieve a clear view of the current global level regarding the WEF Nexus. As a complementary contribution, a methodological proposal is presented for the beginning of the Nexus WEF study for countries with emerging economies with a multi-criteria approach, taking the Republic of Paraguay as a case study.