The Function of Money in Water–Energy–Food and Land Nexus

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

I read with interest the paper on the WEF nexus, land, and on the role of money. While it does a good job in unpacking the role of the political economy and of the economy, it fails in reviewing the literature on the WEF nexus. 

I would therefore suggest inclusion of the following papers which would be useful in better framing the authors understandings of the WEF framework:

1)  Al-Saidi, Mohammad, and Nadir Ahmed Elagib. "Towards understanding the integrative approach of the water, energy and food nexus." Science of the Total Environment 574 (2017): 1131-1139.

            - This paper is important because it shows how to integrate the WEF nexus in integrative approaches, promoting system thinking kind of directions.

2) Al-Saidi, M., & Hussein, H. (2021). The water-energy-food nexus and COVID-19: Towards a systematization of impacts and responses. Science of the Total Environment, 779, 146529.

            - This paper is important because it shows how WEF nexus can be included in systemic approaches, taking the Covid pandemic as an example.

3)  Hajko, V., Sebri, M., Al-Saidi, M., & Balsalobre-Lorente, D. (2018). The energy-growth nexus: history, development, and new challenges. In The economics and econometrics of the energy-growth nexus (pp. 1-46). Academic Press.

            - This paper helps in considering the nexus of economic development and growth in relation to energy production and uses.

4) Daher, B. T., & Mohtar, R. H. (2015). Water–energy–food (WEF) Nexus Tool 2.0: guiding integrative resource planning and decision-making. Water International, 40(5-6), 748-771.

            - This paper provides practical tools for WEF implementation.

5) Daher, B., Hannibal, B., Mohtar, R. H., & Portney, K. (2020). Toward understanding the convergence of researcher and stakeholder perspectives related to water-energy-food (WEF) challenges: The case of San Antonio, Texas. Environmental Science & Policy, 104, 20-35.

            - WEF nexus approaches and stakeholders approaches.

6) Hussein, H., & Lambert, L. A. (2020). A Rentier state under blockade: Qatar’s water-energy-food predicament from energy abundance and food insecurity to a silent water crisis. Water, 12(4), 1051.

            - This paper shows how WEF Nexus needs to be contextualized in the broader political and social context.

I hope these papers and my reasonings on why they matter may be useful to further improve this paper.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

I have to admit that the topic of the manuscript and the chosen title for it were attractive to me. I think the manuscript has a high potential to be accepted in this journal. But the manuscript in its current state has flaws and ambiguities that the authors must answer:

*The abstract should be thoroughly reviewed; The innovation of the work must be mentioned in the abstract; The results should be mentioned in the abstract.

* The current Introduction is too simple, it should include background, current progress, research gaps and the objective of this study, etc.

*  A comprehensive literature is required for identifying the research gaps and highlight the necessity for carrying out this study.

*objectives are missing specific and quantifiable objectives are needed

*How tradeoffs are being managed and quantified in order to achieve the goals of the paper

*Limited nexus literature was presented summarizing how this research set a unique contribution.

*The nexus was first published as an overview of concepts to the Nexus first appeared in: World Economic Forum (2011).  An Integrated Sustainability Index for Effective Water Policy. In Water security : the water-food-energy-climate nexus. World Economic Forum, Water Initiative. Dominic Waughray (Ed.) Island Press. Washington, Covelo, London. 271 pages.

*It is necessary to discuss the interrelations (internal relations) and interactions (external relations) of the nexus subsystems (Water-Food-Energy and Land subsystems). Please see and use:

1. The conceptual framework to determine interrelations and interactions for holistic Water, Energy, and Food Nexus

2. A new paradigm of water, food, and energy nexus

3. Incorporating social system into water-food-energy nexus

*For readers to quickly catch your contribution, it would be better to highlight major difficulties and challenges, and the contribution of your research for policy assessment and evaluation, in a clearer way in abstract.

*It is not customary for the results to be reviewed for the first time in the conclusion; The conclusion is a summary of the results. (Figure 10 shows that land is the basis of prosperity, and we see a positive correlation 306 of land area with all the examined indices. In addition, Figure 11, shows that even the 307 richest countries, have critical deficits of energy and food, even though these are necessary 308 for their survival. )!!!!!

*Significance and implications of research should be highlighted in the conclusion section.

 

Author Response

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Reviewer 3 Report

land-2195056

The Function of Money in Water-Energy-Food and Land nexus

G.-Fivos Sargentis * , Demetris Koutsoyiannis

 

Overall

The paper is a unique dimension of the Nexus looking at the financial aspects. However, the paper is not recommended for publication in its current form. Suggestions are outlined below.

 

 

Fundamental question:

The paper discusses Water, Energy, Food, Land in isolation, It did not justify the nexus and did not look at the interaction between these resources and did not address the system of this nexus.

 

The paper did not justify energy units conversion as a measure of “money”. Why not use simply cost?

 

The paper did not include other security benefits: food , water and energy security. How can these be monetized?

 

 

Abstract

Missing study objective

 

 

Specific suggestion

The paper should cite the original paper describing the nexus is:

An Integrated Sustainability Index for Effective Water Policy. In Water security : the water-food-energy-climate nexus. World Economic Forum, Water Initiative. Dominic Waughray (Ed.) Island Press. Washington, Covelo, London. 271 pages 

 

The objectives of the paper are missing.

The methodology is not clear. It needs to elaborate on how everything is connected, and a description of the system is missing and the scale the analysis is conducted.

Sections 3 and 4 should be part of the methodology.

The paper presents many charts, however, there is very little discussion on what they mean. What are the targets, how do these relate to the paper goal? In particular Figure 11 for example, states that Kuwait has energy deficit, which is not correct. This was compared to “pure” countries. What is “pure” in this context.

What are the countries in the zero column of figure 4?

In the conclusion, the paper states that land is a major driver to economy. This is not true, examples is Qatar, a small country with highest per capita income.

A good example to follow in the analysis is:

SH Lee, AT Assi, B Daher, FE Mengoub, RH Mohtar. (2020) A Water-Energy-Food Nexus approach for conducting trade-off analysis: Morocco’s phosphate industry in the Khouribga region. Hydrology and Earth Systems Science (HESS), 24(10) 4727–4741. 

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

This manuscript focuses on the relationship between money and WEF nexus, which matches with this journal's scope, I assume.

However, the authors should revise the manuscript in accordance to following suggestions.

Firstly, authors need to explain why they have paid their attention for example historical context and the aim of their research clearly as early as possible in the Introduction part.

Secondly, in addition to research aim, authors must present their methodology used in the second or third part. If not (at the moment), readers including myself cannot understand their research context and judge their scientific soundness.

If authors would like to resubmit after deep consideration, authors must describe the aim and methodology clearly first, and pick only needed data, explain results in accordance with the presented research aim.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

I can see much improvements in the paper. Good.

my final suggestion is to read and review and consider adding the following paper, as it provides a good wef nexus operationalisation from the case of Central Asia, which is a region that you have overall overlooked in the paper:

 

[PDF] from ox.ac.uk Operationalizing water-energy-food nexus research for sustainable development in social-ecological systems: An interdisciplinary learning case in Central Asia Authors Ahmad Hamidov, Katrin Daedlow, Heidi Webber

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

the revised paper addressed all of my concerns 

Author Response

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Reviewer 4 Report

Thank you for sending the revised version. Now, I understand your research's aim, methodology and importance.

Author Response

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