Financing infrastructure in a climate-conscious world: A synthesis of the water–energy–food nexus projects

As climate change increasingly threatens the long-term security of critical water, energy, and food resources, there is an imperative to invest in the growth and fortification of infrastructure across these interconnected sectors. This paper synthesizes findings from water–energy–food nexus projects to establish the conditions necessary for enabling long-term resource security in South Africa by (1) identifying potential climate change impacts on the water, energy, and food sectors, (2) estimating investment requirements per sector across various climate scenarios, (3) investigating preconditions and mechanisms for channelling investment infrastructure, and (4) re-imagining governance arrangements for a water–energy–food nexus approach. We identify five key governance challenges that must be addressed to operationalize this nexus.