Climate change has impacted some vulnerable rural communities like the Sakhisizwe Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province in South African. The increasing frequency and intensity of weather extremes are altering the environment resulting in the depletion and degradation of essential resources that include water, energy, and food. The livelihoods of rural communities have been severely impacted and compromised and as such there is a need to provide holistic and integrated solutions that address these gran challenges if resource insecurity. This study used the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus to assess the availability, depletion and degradation of resources and their distribution as well as management within the Sakhisizwe Municipality, which is at a local spatial scale. This is based on that climate change impacts are more felt at the small local scale than at the global scale and solutions should be earmarked at the local scale. The study identified that as the population increased in the municipality, it presented challenges of resource insecurity due to increased demand. The other need identified was the establishment of transformative interventions that guide policy formulation and support decision-making to establish adaptation, resilience, and sustainability of resources. Policy-makers are, therefore, equipped with informed strategies to improve the livelihoods of the vulnerable poor communities. The presented WEF nexus analysis simplified human understanding of the relationships among the complex interlinked components of a socio-ecological system in the municipality, identified priority areas for intervention, and steered efficient resource use. The current sector-based resource management exacerbates the challenges of resource depletion and insecurity, The WEF nexus will, therefore, help the stakeholders to be able to sustainably enhance cross-sectoral coordination of resource use, and management, and formulate harmonized policies and strategies. This will improve livelihoods by ensuring resource security, highlighting pathways to achieve municipal and national goals, and the 2030 global agenda on sustainable development. | Ph. D. (Environmental Management) | Environmental Sciences

Heavy metal deposition poses a serious risk to climate change and ecosystem survival. Bio accumulation of heavy metals is chronic to various body organs and tissues. Heavy metal exposure mainly occurs through food and water. Heavy metals used in food and water containers lead to their leaching into the liquids and foods. The continuous industrial release of heavy metals triggers massive synthesis of hetero cycles as metal chelators. In this study, triazole-nucleoside and triazole-nucleotide hybrids, viz., T1 and T2, were prepared from triazole with cytidine and guanine at room temperature. The probes were studied for metal binding affinity with Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, and Pb2+ ions with NMR, UV, and HPLC titrations. The lowest detection limit is 20 ng/ml. The formation of red-shifted peaks between 218.5 to 254.5 nm in the parent spectrum of T1 and between 290 and 312.5 nm of T2 after metal binding showed the selectivity in binding. In heavy metal detoxification of physical environment and bio matrix, the limit of detection (Lod) plays a crucial quantitative role. The increasing order of metal capture is T1……Ni2+ > T2…….Ni2+ > T1……Pb2+ > T2……..Pb2+ as seen in Lod values. This order further amplifies the selective nature of probes in metal sensing for food and water safety in bio based safe solvent viz., aqueous acetonitrile.

As global climate change continues to pose significant challenges, it is increasingly essential to explore sustainable agricultural development strategies. This study aims to develop a multi-objective collaborative optimization model, using the Fen River Irrigation District as a case study. It examines strategies based on the water-energy-food-carbon nexus and seeks to maximize bioenergy production. The research methodology integrates multi-objective optimization theory with the ideal point method to obtain optimization solutions. This approach ensures the maximization of bioenergy output while minimizing carbon emissions and economic costs. The findings reveal that optimized bioenergy production in the study area can reach 1.17 × 1012 J, with contributions of 29.50 % from agriculture and 70.50 % from animal husbandry. Notably, animal husbandry emerges as the primary source of bioenergy production, generating 8.27 × 1011 J, predominantly from pigs, followed by sheep and cattle. The total optimized agricultural cultivation area is determined to be 6.76 × 104 ha, with corn taking the largest share at 73.86 % of the total cultivated area, which improves the economic benefits of agriculture while increasing the production of bioenergy. Fruits and vegetables account for 8.69 %, wheat for 3.45 %, and legumes for 13.99 %. In terms of the economic and environmental implications of bioenergy production, agriculture contributes more significantly to the agricultural economy compared to animal husbandry. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are the major contributor to overall carbon emissions, followed by methane (CH4). The optimized allocation of water resources results in a more reasonable ratio between surface water and groundwater supply, with 0.41 × 108 m3 coming from groundwater and 1.93 × 108 m3 from surface water, effectively alleviating the problem of regional water resources tension and guaranteeing the long-term stability of agricultural production. The optimization model focuses on generating solutions that conserve resources and reduce costs while simultaneously protecting the environment. This ultimately provides decision-makers with improved alternatives for managing agricultural resources.

An organism has the ability to evolve and produce different phenotypes in order to respond to local environmental conditions, which is a common adaptation strategy in nature. Besides biotic factors, abiotic factors such as the volume of water and the diversity of food in breeding ponds can also play significant roles in the survival and age at metamorphosis in amphibians. This study experimentally examined the plasticity in growth rate, survival rate, larval mass, age, and SVL at metamorphosis for Bufo gargarizans gargarizans. It specifically focused on different combinations of water volume and food diversity. An interaction between water volume and food diversity had no effect on larval growth and development. However, food diversity had a significant impact on the age at metamorphosis, revealing that the presence of two food resources resulted in a shorter larval period and earlier metamorphosis, particularly in larger water volumes. Our findings demonstrated that single tadpoles reared in larger water volumes had a larger body size at metamorphosis compared to those raised in smaller water volumes. Additionally, single tadpoles raised in larger water volumes exhibited higher growth rates and a shorter larval period than those raised in smaller water volumes. We propose that the increased frequency of physical encounters between tadpoles and vessel walls in smaller volumes leads to stress from crowding or psychological factors, which is the primary factor in hindering larval growth and development.

Despite substantial contemporary research and a growing trend in exploring the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, most research efforts have been invested in macro-level supply-side infrastructure and policies. However, prioritizing demand-side management policies can provide new opportunities and untapped potential for addressing interconnected resource challenges. Demand management inherently encompasses users’ consumption patterns, behaviors, socio-economic conditions, and choices, thereby necessitating active engagement and participation. Understanding household-level demands is fundamental to assess the demand for and consumption of water, energy, and food, as well as to inform policy decisions. In this context, our study investigated household consumption patterns within the interconnected WEF nexus, including daily practices such as cooking and washing, conservation measures, household governance, and their cross-cutting relationships with climate change. As a case study, we conducted our research in the Jabal Al Natheef neighborhood of Amman City, Jordan. Our findings reveal that households can propose and enact climate-friendly decisions. Significant gender-related differences were also observed in decisions made across WEF household practices. Additionally, households’ perspectives highlighted governance issues and revealed gaps in policy implementation along with the need for more inclusive decision-making processes. Our results underscore the importance of understanding household-level WEF nexus dynamics and daily practices in informing environmental policies, particularly those related to climate action. Such policies are best developed from the bottom-up by incorporating household insights, rather than relying solely on top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions.

Agricultural water accounts for 63 % of the total water usage, and water is essential for food production. The supply and use of agricultural water for food production corresponds to “water for food (W-F)” nexus, and irrigation facilities such as reservoirs, pumping stations and groundwater wells are utilized to supply agricultural water, directly related to the electricity use. Electricity usage causes indirect carbon emissions; thus, to reduce carbon emissions in agriculture, it is necessary to quantitatively assess the direct and indirect carbon reduction effect. This study aimed to evaluate the electricity use and carbon emissions for agricultural water supply, focusing on the W-F nexus system for food production in water-energy-food nexus. Furthermore, the direct and indirect carbon emissions of paddy water management as a measure of reducing carbon emissions were comprehensively evaluated. The total electricity use for agricultural water supply by all sectors showed an increasing trend with large increase in electricity use for pumping stations and gradual increase in the proportion for upland irrigation. The total indirect carbon emissions were founded to gradually increases, with the proportion of carbon emissions from rice cultivation from 3.3 % to 7.1 %. When applying paddy water management, the total carbon reduction effect was estimated to be 24.76 % and 61.27 % for midseason drainage and shallow flooding. This study quantified water-energy-carbon linkage for food production system with the perspective of W-F nexus. Additionally, as the proportion of electricity use expected to increase, this study suggested that energy efficiency of agricultural water supply become more important issues.

Background and Objectives: Maintaining an appropriate hydration status is crucial for promoting health. Children, who are in the process of growth and development, are at a higher risk of insufficient water intake and dehydration. This study aimed to compare water intake among children with different levels of dietary sodium intake, and explore the relationship between hydration status, and dietary sodium intake and water intake. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, 155 students in grades 4&ndash:6 from a primary school in Binyang County, Nanning, Guangxi, were recruited. Water intake from fluid was assessed using a validated 7-Day 24 h Fluid Intake Survey Questionnaire (days 1&ndash:7). Food intake was recorded and weighed using the duplicate diet method on days 5, 6, and 7. The water content in food was determined using the direct drying method, and dietary sodium intake was measured using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Urine osmolality was measured at two time points (morning and before afternoon classes) on days 5, 6, and 7 to assess hydration status. Results: A total of 155 participants (87 boys and 68 girls) completed the study, with a completion rate of 100%. The average dietary sodium intake, total water intake (TWI), water intake from fluid, and water intake from food were 1647 mg, 2039 mL, 956 mL, and 1175 mL, respectively. Among the participants, 19.4% exceeded the recommended sodium intake (2000 mg/day), 41.9% did not meet the adequate daily water intake from fluid, and 63.2% did not meet the adequate daily total water intake. When participants were divided into quartiles based on dietary sodium intake, significant differences were observed in water intake from fluid (p = 0.031) and food (p &lt: 0.001). The water intake from fluid among participants in the HS1 (982 mL) and HS2 groups (997 mL) was higher than that among participants in LS2 (759 mL). Water intake from food increased progressively with increasing sodium intake (851 mL, 1075 mL, 1224 mL, and 1550 mL). Urine osmolality was associated with meeting the daily adequate water intake from fluid (p = 0.006), but not with exceeding the sodium intake standard (p = 0.787). There was no interaction between meeting the daily adequate water intake from fluid and exceeding the sodium intake standard (p = 0.413). Conclusions: Insufficient water intake was common among children. Children with a higher dietary sodium intake had a higher water intake from fluid and food. Urine osmolality was closely related to daily water intake from fluid, but not to sodium intake.

This article examines the interactions between water, energy, and food in the Tchouadeng watershed. The relationships among these elements, as well as the management of the micro-hydropower plant in this watershed, were assessed using survey sheets, exploratory interviews, and a literature review. The results reveal that the water resources in this watershed are utilized for drinking water, crop irrigation, and hydroelectricity production. Among farmers in the Tchouadeng watershed, 19.99% irrigate vegetable crops, with 85.71% using a gravity-fed irrigation system with local sprinklers and 14.29% using a furrow irrigation system with a motor pump. Monoculture crops have a water productivity ranging from 1.02-2.96 USD/m3, 0.60 and 0.62 USD/m3, respectively for tomatoes, cabbage, and potatoes. Conversely, mixed crops have a productivity of 2.00 and 2.93 USD/m3, respectively for tomato-cabbage-potato and tomato-cabbage-potato-black nightshade combinations. Mixed cropping (28.57%) optimizes water usage. The electricity generated in Tchouadeng is used to power 92 households, yet approximately 95% of subscribers are dissatisfied due to frequent voltage fluctuations. During drought periods, local residents and micro-hydropower plant managers face conflicts over water extraction from the mini reservoir dam. These conflicts are typically managed amicably or by village authorities. There is currently no organization responsible for managing water, energy, and food in the area. It is imperative to coordinate these various sectors to ensure effective management and demonstrate the benefits of an integrated approach to water, energy, and food.