A água é um bem precioso e insubstituível. É um recurso natural fundamental para as diferentes atividades humanas e para a vida na terra, propiciando ao homem qualidade de vida, por meio de seu uso na produção de alimentos para abastecimento das populações, na irrigação e na produção de energia, entre outros.

Considering all the scenarios about population growth and the increasing demand for food, water and energy, we highlight the potential of MFA to provide a range of benefits - beyond its primary function that is to produce food - through the promotion of conservationist practices in rural landscapes. We presented a feasible methodology framework to evaluate the impact of rural practices on the FWE security nexus in the Atlantic Forest biome. The basis of this methodology is the use of secondary data and a participatory approach. Thus, we ensure a bottom-up approach, promoting the stakeholder engagement and a low cost, promoting its applicability.

A water-energy-food (WEF) nexus assessment supports natural resource management by providing an integrated framework for evaluation and decision-making. The participation of a wide range of stakeholders is essential for achieving environmental, economic, and social sustainability in this framework. This analysis supports the decision-making process of the nexus assessment by facilitating dialogue between stakeholders in order to achieve long term efficiencies, especially in rural landscapes where most of the services connected to WEF securities are provided. We identify the most relevant stakeholders operating in the connection between agricultural practices and the WEF nexus to stimulate their engagement in the nexus governance. The study area was the Atlantic Forest Reserve of Ribeirão das Lajes, Brazil. A stakeholder analysis, generating qualitative data using snowball sampling interviews was applied and, after the identification of stakeholders, an analytical categorization disclosing potential conflicts among them was performed. We obtained a pool of stakeholders from different organizational types, including a large number of public entities at local and state levels. The main threat to the development of the project is considered to be the lack of communication between the parties. We note that the prior identification of this group of stakeholders facilitates this communication, enhancing social representation in the area. Outcomes of this study demonstrate the relevance of stakeholder analysis in nexus governance for integrated natural resource management.