This study investigates the determinants of access to safe water and reliable energy for households in Sudan using nationally representative data from a recent labor market survey. The results show that urbanization, education, and wealth significantly enhance the access households have to these essential services, while rural areas and less developed regions, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, face substantial challenges. Access to reliable energy correlates with better food security and health outcomes within households, and improved access to safe water significantly enhances the health of household members. Policy recommendations supported by these research results include targeted rural infrastructure investments, educational improvements, and regional interventions to address disparities in household access to safe water and reliable energy across Sudan.

10 Pág. | In order to valorise winemaking grape stalks, subcritical water extraction at 160 and 180 °C has been carried out to obtain phenolic-rich extracts useful for developing active food packaging materials. Red (R) and white (W) varieties (from Requena, Spain) were used, and thus, four kinds of extracts were obtained. These were characterised as to their composition, thermal stability and antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The extracts were incorporated at 6 wt% into polylactic acid (PLA) films and their effect on the optical and barrier properties of the films and their protective effect against sunflower oil oxidation was analysed. Carbohydrates were the major compounds (25-38%) in the extracts that contained 3.5-6.6% of phenolic compounds, the R extracts being the richest, with higher radical scavenging capacity. Every extract exhibited antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli and Listeria innocua, while PLA films with extracts preserved sunflower oil against oxidation. | This study forms part of the AGROALNEXT programme (AGROALNEXT/2022/026) and was supported by MCIN with funding from the European Union NextGenerationEU (PRTR-C17·I1) and the project CIPROM/2021/071 (Generalitat Valenciana). | Peer reviewed

The Food-Energy-Water nexus approach to resource governance is a paradigmshifting approach that moves away from “siloed” resource management and pursues integration and holistic planning between food, energy, and water governance. The Food-Energy-Water nexus approach carries the potential to increase synergies and reduce tradeoffs between the Sustainable Development Goals. However, theoretical challenges remain, and practical implementations of the nexus approach have lagged. The purpose of the article is to respond to the theoretical challenges and the need for practical implementations. The article first outlines the relationship between the Food-Energy-Water nexus approach and the Sustainable Development Goals. It then analyzes the relationship between the Sustainable Development Goals, human rights, and the capability approach, an influential account of wellbeing. I then discuss how the Food-Energy-Water nexus approach, in alignment with the capability approach, can contribute to trade-off reductions and synergies between the Sustainable Development Goals. I finally discuss an outline of a context-specific implementation model for a Food-Energy-Water nexus approach capable of mapping and quantifying carbon footprints creating synergies and reducing tradeoffs between the Sustainable Development Goals. A carbon capture and utilization project in the Arctic serves as a test case. Important policy implications of the study include a criterion for what it means to “optimize” the “output” of an algae cultivation system. This criterion is a tool for adjudication between stakeholders’ conflicting priorities.

To overcome the multiple challenges of water scarcity, agricultural land conversion, food security, and carbon emissions, an optimal collaborative management scheme for food production is urgently needed, especially in high food-production and food-consumption countries such as China. The water–land–food–carbon (WLFC) nexus provides a new perspective, but its interactions are complex, dynamic, and spatially heterogeneous; the coupling mechanism is not fully understood; and the driving forces and regulation strategies remain uncertain. Therefore, in this study, the WLFC nexus centered on low-carbon and high-quality agricultural development was systematically reviewed. The main contributions are as follows: (1) A framework of the regional agricultural WLFC nexus was proposed based on bibliographic analysis. (2) The main internal and external factors influencing the WLFC nexus in agriculture were identified by reevaluating meta-analysis review studies. The results showed that changes in the amount and type of irrigation water, the amount and planting activities of agricultural land, and climate change (temperature, precipitation, and CO₂ concentration) affected food (rice, wheat, and maize) yields and carbon emissions to varying degrees. Moreover, population, technological innovation, trade, and polices were important external factors impacting food production and carbon emissions. (3) The common methods and tools for assessing, simulating, and optimizing the WLFC nexus in agriculture were summarized from the perspectives of its status, physical links, and embodied links. Integrated indices, complex system thinking, and process-based and data-driven methods were applied in the studies of the WLFC nexus. (4) Strategies and programs for collaborative WLFC management in agriculture within 10 global river basins were compiled. These findings could help us better understand the WLFC nexus in agriculture and identify the optimal cooperative management scheme, thereby realizing low-carbon and high-quality agricultural development.

Infrastructure in river basins is essential to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2 on zero hunger, SDG 6 on water and sanitation, and SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy. However, important tradeoffs and synergies need to be navigated across these goals as both water and resources for infrastructure investments are limited. In transboundary river basins, such tradeoffs can transcend countries, creating a complex, interconnected system of water-energy-food linkages. With increasing pressures on the Blue Nile’s water resources from population and economic growth and climate change, an analytical framework for joint planning of these essential human development goals at a fine temporal resolution and considering multi-national priorities can enhance the potential to achieve water, energy, and food security. In this study, we develop and apply a framework for water resources planning in the Blue Nile using four steps: (1) understanding the water-energy-food nexus management landscape through stakeholder engagement and literature review; (2) developing a detailed daily simulator that captures major nexus components and objectives at a fine temporal scale; (3) linking the simulator to an Artificial intelligence-based search algorithm to design efficient agricultural and dam operation portfolios considering national and sectoral priorities; and (4) presenting the results using interactive visualization tools to facilitate dialogue and support decisions. Our results identify efficient operation plans for large dams on the Blue Nile for alternative cropping patterns in expanded irrigation areas in Sudan that minimize tradeoffs across water, energy, and food objectives.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author as the data was stored electronically and transferred to a password-protected database to ensure privacy and confidentiality. | In Mozambique, about 500,000 cases of diarrhoea were caused by foodborne pathogens in 2018. A review of the epidemiology of diarrhoea in children under five showed a high disease burden. This study aimed to identify Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) and Salmonella spp. contamination of food and water in urban and rural areas of Maputo consumed by children under five with diarrhoea. One hundred and eighty-six children with diarrhoea were selected from Primeiro de Maio and Marracuene Health Care Centres from the Kamaxakeni and Marracuene districts, respectively. Food (n = 167) and water (n = 100) samples were collected in children’s households for diarrhoeagenic bacterial identification. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data about demographics and foods consumed a week before the children’s diarrhoea episodes. The prevalence of both DEC and Salmonella spp. was 9.8% in food and 5.4% in water samples. DEC was most prevalent in cereals (urban = 2.8%; rural = 2.4%) and water samples (urban = 1.4%; rural = 3.3%). Salmonella spp. was mainly detected in cereals (urban = 0.7%; rural = 0.8%). Diarrhoeagenic pathogens were associated with the type of food frequently consumed by children under five years with diarrhoea (infant formula, fruit puree, ready-to-eat meals, and bottled water), while the association with demographics was absent. We found that the infant foods consumed by children with diarrhoea are associated with DEC and Salmonella spp., and the prevalence of these contaminants is higher in the rural (8.9%) than in the urban area (6.3%), showing the need for caregiver education on food handling practices. | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development, Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom Government. | https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph | hj2024 | Consumer Science | Food Science | SDG-02:Zero Hunger | SDG-03:Good heatlh and well-being | SDG-06:Clean water and sanitation

Territorial spatial planning involves fixability and flexibility in different driving factors related to control and development orientation, and they play an important role in regional sustainable development, especially in developing countries such as China. With rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, China has been impacted by conflicts between development and protection in territorial space. To integrate the contradictions among different territorial spatial planning measures, planners and scholars have started to focus on studies regarding fixability–flexibility relationships and integration. However, the relationship between and integration of fixability and flexibility in territorial spatial planning have yet to be clearly summarised. This paper explores an innovative research direction for the fixability–flexibility relations in territorial spatial planning from a new perspective, the Food–Energy–Water Nexus, which is a dynamic and comprehensive framework for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) studies. This paper covers the existing research on fixability and flexibility in territorial spatial planning. Moreover, after summarising the conflicts of fixability and flexibility, the dialectical relationship between and the integration of fixability and flexibility are researched.

The rapid increase in population and economy, coupled with accelerated urbanization, is placing immense pressure on the water–energy–food (WEF) system. In this context, the water–energy–food nexus framework has emerged, recognizing the interdependencies and interactions among water, energy, and food systems, with the aim of optimizing resource management through cross-sectoral collaboration to promote sustainable development. Understanding the spatio-temporal differentiation patterns of the WEF nexus and elucidating the driving mechanisms behind changes in their coupling relationships is essential. This knowledge is crucial for ensuring the security of each subsystem and enhancing the overall sustainability of interconnected systems through coordinated efforts. To address these challenges, this study first established evaluation indicators for water, energy, and food security to quantify their levels and spatio-temporal dynamics. Subsequently, the degrees of coupling coordination within the WEF nexus were calculated. Finally, the WEF nexus’s spatial correlations were analyzed by using a spatial autocorrelation model. Spatial econometric models then identified key factors affecting its coordination. The results revealed significant spatial heterogeneity in water, energy, and food security across mainland China’s provinces. From 2002 to 2022, water security improved substantially in 87% of the provinces, while energy security began to improve in the eastern regions following a phase of high consumption. Food security saw significant enhancements, particularly in Inner Mongolia and the northeastern provinces. The overall coupling coordination of the WEF nexus improved across 30 provinces, progressing toward primary coordination. However, Henan and Anhui provinces experienced fluctuations in WEF nexus coordination. Spatial correlation analysis showed upward trends and increased clustering in WEF nexus coordination. Factors such as economic development and population positively influenced coordination, while economic agglomeration, education, and effective irrigation area had negative effects. This study elucidates the complex interconnections and key influencing factors within the WEF nexus, providing a reference framework and practical recommendations for equitable resource management.

Doutoramento em Engenharia Alimentar. Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia | The main objective of this study was, to evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of water and RTE foods sold on the streets of Maputo. For this, 83 RTE street food samples from 83 different vendors and 116 water samples from different sources were analyzed. Selected bacterial isolates were molecularly identified and characterized. High levels of unsatisfactory samples were found in both hot (76.7%) and cold (75%) foods. Based on staphylococcal counts, approximately 25% of the food samples were unsatisfactory/potentially hazardous. A high level of fecal contamination was detected in all types of water samples. In Escherichia coli isolates from food and water, the highest percentages of resistance were for the ß-lactams imipenem (35.5 and 39.3%, respectively) and ampicillin (39.3 and 46.4%, respectively). Multidrug resistance was observed in 31.3% of the isolates, being higher in water isolates (45.5%) than food isolates (19.2%). ESBL was the most frequent (57.7%) antibiotic resistance gene among those encoding β-lactamases, while tetA was the most frequent (50%) among non-β-lactamase genes. Furthermore, 73% of the multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates also had virulence genes. The most frequent virulence gene was sec (30.3%) followed by the hlb (24.2%) and sak and sed genes (12.5% each). Regarding the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in Staphylococcus, blaZ (penicillin resistance) was the most frequent (74.2%) followed by mecA (methicillin resistance) and vancA (vancomycin resistance) genes (43.9% and 42.4%, respectively. Staphylococcus isolates had a high ability to form biofilms on different materials and these biofilms were resistant to high concentrations of methicillin (32 g/ml). The results reported here show that water and food sold on the streets of Maputo, Mozambique, pose a potential risk to public health. | O principal objectivo deste estudo foi avaliar a qualidade microbiológica e a segurança da água e dos alimentos RTE vendidos nas ruas de Maputo. Para isso, foram analisadas 83 amostras de comida de rua RTE de 83 vendedores diferentes e 116 amostras de água de diferentes origens. Os isolados bacterianos selecionados foram identificados e caracterizados molecularmente. Foram encontrados elevados níveis de amostras insatisfatórias, tanto em alimentos quentes (76,7%) quanto em alimentos frios (75%). Com base na contagem de estafilococos, aproximadamente 25% das amostras de alimentos eram insatisfatórias/potencialmente perigosas. Foi encontrado um elevado nível de contaminação fecal em todos os tipos de amostras de água. Nos isolados de Escherichia coli provenientes de alimentos e água, as maiores percentagens de resistência foram para os ß-lactâmicos imipenem (35,5 e 39,3%, respectivamente) e ampicilina (39,3 e 46,4%, respectivamente). A multirresistência foi observada em 31,3% dos isolados, sendo maior nos isolados de água (45,5%) do que nos isolados de alimentos (19,2%). ESBL foi o gene para β-lactamases mais frequente (57,7%), enquanto tetA foi o mais frequente (50%) entre genes não β-lactamases. Além disso, 73% dos isolados de E. coli multirresistentes também tinham genes de virulência. O gene de virulência mais frequente foi sec (30,3%), seguido pelos genes hlb (24,2%) e sak e sed (12,5% cada). Em Staphylococcus, blaZ (resistência à penicilina) foi o gene mais frequente (74,2%), seguido pelos genes mecA e vancA (43,9% e 42,4%, respectivamente). Staphylococcus mostrou capacidade de formar biofilmes em diferentes materiais e esses biofilmes eram resistentes a elevadas concentrações de meticilina (32 g/ml). Os resultados aqui relatados mostram que a água e os alimentos vendidos nas ruas de Maputo, Moçambique, representam um risco potencial para a saúde pública. | N/A