Open AccessA Nexus Approach to Water, Energy, and Food Security in Northern Canada
Author(s) -
David Natcher,
Shawn Ingram
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
arctic
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1923-1245
pISSN - 0004-0843
DOI - 10.14430/arctic72045
Subject(s) - nexus (standard) , food security , spillover effect , per capita , sustainability , business , water energy , natural resource economics , economic growth , environmental protection , geography , economics , agriculture , ecology , sociology , computer science , population , demography , microeconomics , archaeology , embedded system , biology
Residents of northern Canada experience high rates of water, energy, and food (WEF) insecurity relative to the national average. Historically, WEF systems have been treated independently with little policy or institutional coordination occurring between sectors. This paper presents the results of a WEF nexus analysis for northern Canada. We assess the positive and negative interactions between the WEF sectors that could facilitate or impede the attainment of WEF-related sustainable development goals. Out of 210 pair-wise interactions, 87% were found to be synergistic of some magnitude, meaning that efforts to address insecurity in one WEF sector will have positive spillover effects toward the others. With synergies significantly outweighing trade-offs, opportunities exist to simultaneously address WEF insecurities through mutually beneficial actions that capitalize on and promote synergetic policies.