Sustainable Development Challenges and Future Trends of Water–Energy–Food Nexus

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Sustainability calls for contributions of studies focused on the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus strongly related to sustainability, which impacts all aspects of society, whether technological, economical, or social. Sustainability is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications in this interdisciplinary area.

The Water–Energy–Food nexus is a concept that highlights the interconnectedness of these three essential resources and their impact on sustainable development. The history of the nexus can be traced back to the early 2000s, when researchers and policymakers began to recognize the need for a more integrated approach to managing water, energy, and food systems. Sustainable development challenges related to the nexus include an increasing demand for water, energy, and food due to population growth and urbanization, as well as the impacts of climate change on resource availability. These challenges require innovative solutions to ensure long-term sustainability, considering the interdependencies between water, energy, and food resources.

Future trends in the Water–Energy–Food nexus include adopting integrated resource management approaches, such as water-smart agriculture and renewable energy technologies. There is also a growing emphasis on promoting cross-sectoral collaboration and stakeholder engagement to address the complex challenges of the nexus related to interconnectedness and opportunities for sustainable development by adopting holistic approaches to resource management towards achieving a more sustainable and resilient future.

We invite you to submit high-quality, original research articles or reviews to extend the current state of knowledge. This includes technical and social findings and trends. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed by experts in the field.

Dr. Elena Maria Otazo Sánchez
Dr. Ramón Razo Zárate
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• WEF future trends and scenarios
• evaluating the WEF nexus
• energy demands related to water and food
• water demands for energy and food
• adaptation actions related to the WEF nexus
• expanding the nexus to other resources
• binary nexus
• food security and agriculture
• sustainable development goals (SDGs)
• social studies