Assessing the Capacity of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus in Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Burundi

Philbert Mperejekumana, Lei Shen (), Shuai Zhong, Fabien Muhirwa, Assa Nsabiyeze, Jean Marie Vianney Nsigayehe and Anathalie Nyirarwasa
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Philbert Mperejekumana: Key Laboratory for Resource Use and Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Lei Shen: Key Laboratory for Resource Use and Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Shuai Zhong: Key Laboratory for Resource Use and Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Fabien Muhirwa: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Assa Nsabiyeze: College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Jean Marie Vianney Nsigayehe: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Anathalie Nyirarwasa: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: In Burundi, a significant portion of the population heavily relies on agriculture for both sustenance and income. However, persistently low agricultural yields place approximately 1.8 million people at immediate risk of food insecurity. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus approach to strengthening agricultural sustainability and improving food security in Burundi. This study employs both the ARDL model and the ARIMA model to analyze the impact of water, energy, and land on agricultural yield while also projecting their future dynamics in Burundi. The results highlight a positive correlation between these resources and agricultural yield, demonstrating that a 1% increase in each of these variables would collectively result in a 3.74% increase in agricultural yield. Furthermore, the predictive findings reveal an anticipated decrease in agricultural yield by approximately 74.9 kg ha −1 and a reduction in agricultural land spanning up to 11.9 × 10 4 hectares by the year 2030. As a contribution to the body of knowledge, this study introduces a framework for the WEF nexus and sustainable agriculture, providing fresh perspectives to the literature on resource nexus studies in Burundi and among other practitioners in Africa.

Keywords: nexus approach; agriculture; sustainability; water; energy; food; food security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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