Trends in the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Research

Ali Rhouma (), Jerome El Jeitany, Rabi Mohtar and José Maria Gil
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Ali Rhouma: PRIMA, Nexus 2 Building, C/Jordi Girona 29, Second Floor 2A, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Jerome El Jeitany: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), Univpersità degli Studi di Firenze, Via di S. Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy
Rabi Mohtar: Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Energy Institute Texas A&M University, 306 Scoates Hall, Mail Stop 2117, College Station, TX 77843-2117, USA
José Maria Gil: Centre de Recerca en Economia i Desenvolupament Agroalimentari, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, 08034 Barcelona, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: This paper aims to analyze the scientific evolution and research trends concerning the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus, as well as its development within scientific databases. To achieve this, a bibliometric analysis has been conducted using publications sourced from Scopus and Web of science databases. This study examined key aspects such as primary journals, prominent authors, affiliated institutions, countries of origin, subject areas, and notable keywords. Furthermore, there is a dedicated section that delves into research and innovation gaps within publications related to the WEF nexus. Results reveal that research on the WEF nexus has experienced exponential growth over the past decade, with the majority of publications emerging between 2017 and 2023. The United States leads in this field, with engineering and environmental science being the predominant research categories, with Spain and Italy being the prominent countries in Europe. The WEF nexus concept in the agriculture sector is notably underdeveloped, particularly in its ties with the Sustainable Development Goals and the science–policy–society interface. The study stresses the importance of integrating health considerations into the WEF Nexus to understand the interconnections and their implications on public health, thereby enriching the Nexus approach with a critical dimension of human well-being. This situation underscores the urgent need to create a nexus community that bridges science and practice, and to incorporate this specialized discipline into university curricula.

Keywords: water–energy–food nexus; bibliometric analysis; gaps; topic modeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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