Water scarcity has been a critical concern in many countries of the world. The same concern has been discussed, analyzed and researched at different platforms to find better solutions to the challenges of water scarcity, and in most cases water scarcity directly influence food security in terms of food production. South Africa, being one of the water scarce countries that derives its food from the agricultural sector; water scarcity remains at the centre stage of the national socioeconomic debate. Water scarcity is one of the major challenges in many countries such as Zimbabwe and Ethiopia particularly for the farmers. However, there is insufficient information on the impact of water scarcity challenges on rural communities’ food security initiatives. This review is focused on unearthing water scarcity challenges in rural communities, their impact on agriculture and ultimately food security initiatives. This paves way for possible research areas, practical implications and strategies to mitigate water security effects on food security.

The application of potassium bromate in the baking industry is used in most parts of the world to avert the human health compromise that characterizes bromates carcinogenic effect. Herein, various methods of its analysis, especially the electrochemical methods of bromate detection, were extensively discussed. Amperometry (AP), cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), electrochemiluminescence (ECL), differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are the techniques that have been deployed for bromate detection in the last two decades, with 50%, 23%, 7.7%, 7.7%, 7.7% and 3.9% application, respectively. Despite the unique electrocatalytic activity of metal phthalocyanine (MP) and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), only few sensors based on MP and CQDs are available compared to the conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), metal (oxide) and graphene-based sensors. This review emboldens the underutilization of CQDs and metal phthalocyanines as sensing materials and briefly discusses the future perspective on MP and CQDs application in bromate detection via EIS.

The current and projected warming of the earth is unequivocal with humans playing a strong role as both perpetrators and victims. The warming on the African continent is projected to be greater than the global average with an increased average temperature of 3–6°C by the end of the century under a high Representative Concentration Pathway. In Africa, the Sub-Saharan region is identified as the most vulnerable to the changing climate due to its very low capacity to adapt to or mitigate climate change. While it is common to identify studies conducted to assess how climate change independently impacts water, land, or food resources, very limited studies have sought to address the interlinkages, synergies, and trade-offs existing between climate change, water, land, and food (WLF) resources as a system in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The climate change and WLF security nexus, therefore, seeks to address this shortfall in literature and subsequently serve as a relevant source of information for decision-making and policy implementation concerning climate change mitigation and adaptation. In this study, 41 relevant studies were selected from Web of Science, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and institutional websites. We provide information on the independent relationships between climate change and WLF resources, and further discuss the existing inter-linkages between climate change and the WLF security in SSA using the nexus approach, with recommendations on how decision making and policy implementations should be done using the climate change and WLF security nexus approach.

Abstract This study aimed to determine the quality of drinking water supplied in different types of food stalls in Jashore Municipality, Bangladesh. A total of 35 water samples were collected from different tea stalls, street side fast food stalls, normal restaurants and well-furnished restaurants. The water quality was evaluated by determining the distinct physical, chemical and biological parameters. The results revealed that the water used in the food stalls and restaurants for drinking purpose was in desired quality in terms of turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, nitrate (NO3 −), sulfate (SO4 2−), phosphate (PO4 3−), chloride (Cl−), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations. The values were within the permissible limit proposed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the World Health Organization. Concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) found in several samples were higher than the World Health Organization standard. Iron (Fe) concentrations were higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization. Only 46% exceeded the permissible limit of Bangladesh Bureau Statistics. The threatening result was that the samples were contaminated by fecal coliform, indicating that the people of Jashore Municipality may have a greater chance of being affected by pathogenic bacteria. The drinking water provided in the street side fast food stalls was biologically contaminated. The findings demonstrate that the drinking water used in food stalls and restaurants of Jashore Municipality did not meet up the potable drinking water quality standards and therefore was detrimental to public health.

The food-energy-water (FEW) nexus provides leeway into the lateral transmission of price volatilities within the sectors. The problem is that any inflationary price tendencies in one of the FEW sectors will have direct and indirect effect on the others. The objective of the study was to ascertain the relationship between inflation in food, energy and water, and determine whether there were spill-overs, in South Africa. Monthly consumer price indices for food, energy and water for the period spanning from January, 2002 to December, 2020, were used. Parsimonious vector autoregressive (VAR) model was used in data analysis. The study found that prior to 2013, inflation rate was higher for food relative to water and energy, respectively. After 2017, water had a higher inflation rate relative to energy and food, respectively. Furthermore, energy inflation had positive impact on both water and food inflation, whilst water inflation also had positive impact on food inflation. The study concludes that there is a nexus in the lateral inflation between food, energy and water. Recommendations include building resilience within the nexus through decoupling food and other sectors from fossil fuel-derived energy. It is needed to strike a balance in biofuel and energy production policy to foster complementarities. Operational efficiencies within the sectors also need to be fostered.

Increasing pressure from population growth and climate change has placed various challenges to urban systems concerning the sustainable supply and use of food, energy and water. To achieve the synergistic and sustainable management of food, energy and water demand, the inter-linkages between the three subsystems should be explored. Taking Beijing as the case study reproducible in a like manner for other urban systems, this research aims to develop a household Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus dynamic model to explore the influence of various factors on the end-uses. Three main innovation points are included in this research. Firstly, long-term simulations from 2010 to 2050 can be provided in this model to quantitatively estimate climate change potential under possible management strategies. Secondly, three different levels of influencing factors of household resource consumption are included in this model at the same time, including individual level (behaviors), household level (appliances) and government level (resource prices). Thirdly, multiple scenarios combinations are analyzed in this research. The results demonstrate the complex interconnections among the household food-energy-water uses. What’ more, short-term effects, lag effects as well as lock-in effects can influence the policy effectiveness, so that policy combinations or complements are needed to enhance the effects.

ABSTRACT Tirta Sanita Bogor brine water contains high concentrations of sodium (Na). It also contains calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). The purpose of this research is to make the food grade salt with relatively low Ca and Mg content. The process was carried out in two methods, the first method was chemical precipitation which was divided into two stages, the removal of the Mg element using a limestone compound (CaCO3) which has been calcined at 900 ̊C for 6 hours, and the removal of Ca element using Li2CO3 compound. The second method was traditional evaporation which was conducted using prism greenhouse technology. The brine filtrate was reacted with Na2CO3 and the results were analyzed using the ICP-OES. The results showed that the NaCl content was 80% by the chemical precipitation and traditional evaporation methods. Keywords: Brine water, Precipitation, Evaporation, Food grade salt

This study aimed to determine the quality of drinking water supplied in different types of food stalls in Jashore Municipality, Bangladesh. A total of 35 water samples were collected from different tea stalls, street side fast food stalls, normal restaurants and well-furnished restaurants. The water quality was evaluated by determining the distinct physical, chemical and biological parameters. The results revealed that the water used in the food stalls and restaurants for drinking purpose was in desired quality in terms of turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, nitrate (NO₃⁻), sulfate (SO₄²⁻), phosphate (PO₄³⁻), chloride (Cl⁻), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations. The values were within the permissible limit proposed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and the World Health Organization. Concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) found in several samples were higher than the World Health Organization standard. Iron (Fe) concentrations were higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization. Only 46% exceeded the permissible limit of Bangladesh Bureau Statistics. The threatening result was that the samples were contaminated by fecal coliform, indicating that the people of Jashore Municipality may have a greater chance of being affected by pathogenic bacteria. The drinking water provided in the street side fast food stalls was biologically contaminated. The findings demonstrate that the drinking water used in food stalls and restaurants of Jashore Municipality did not meet up the potable drinking water quality standards and therefore was detrimental to public health.

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant disruptions in food supply chains, which increased consumers’ concern about possible food shortages and price gouging. To ensure personal food security, many consumers began stockpiling food and water in unusually large amounts.The goal of this study was to investigate individual- and household-level predictors of food and water stockpiling (FWS) in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic among Non-Latino Black and Latino adults.This study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data. Participants were 2,174 Non-Latino Black (66.4%) and Latino (33.6%) adults residing in a Midwestern state, who completed the survey in either May or June/July 2020.Participants were asked to self-report (yes or no) if they stockpiled food and/or water in the prior 7 days in response to the pandemic. A variety of variables was examined, including education level, annual income, employment status, concerns about COVID-19, and self-quarantine status. Crude and adjusted logistic regressions were used to identify variables associated with FWS.Non-Latino Black participants had lower odds of reporting FWS compared to Latinos (OR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.51-0.79). Similarly, participants who were not concerned about COVID-19 had lower odds of FWS compared with those extremely concerned (OR 0.37; 95% CI, 0.20 – 0.71). In contrast, odds of FWS were higher among participants who were self-quarantining all the time compared to those who were not (OR 2.16; 95% CI, 1.31 – 3.59).Results showed that Latinos, adults concerned about COVID-19, and self-quarantine status had significantly higher odds of FWS during the pandemic.