The WEF nexus approach thus opens up possibilities for strategic interventions across sectors through a better understanding of trade-offs . Policies and strategies aiming to cope with climate change may amplify rather than reduce negative externalities and trade-offs within the nexus: low carbon transition, the shift to non-conventional water resources, and agricultural intensification, all implemented to mitigate and adapt to climate change, are not always nexus-smart. Hence, a nexus approach that integrates management and governance across these three sectors can enhance WEF security by minimising trade-offs and maximising synergies between sectors. At the same time, renewable energy offers the opportunity to decouple water and food production from fossil fuel supply, leading to several advantages from both a socioeconomic and environmental point of view . WEF nexus approaches can achieve overall system efficiency when maximising the use and recovery of water, energy, nutrients and materials . These types of holistic system thinking of WEF show promising strategies to catalyse transformative changes. Suppose that the specific types and extent of WEF linkages in a region are well understood. In that case, it becomes possible to intervene through one element to cause an effect on another connected component that may have proven difficult for direct intervention .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report