The present study is a comparative evaluation of anaerobic co-digestion of water hyacinth and food waste with and without pretreatment. The novelty of this anaerobic co-digestion study is that it highlights the effect of pretreatment and mixing ratio. Two set up of bio-chemical methane potential (BMP) experiments for the same mixing ratios but with or without pretreatment were simultaneously conducted. In set I, untreated water hyacinth and food waste was co-digested whereas in set II, pretreated water hyacinth and food waste was co-digested. Higher biogas production in set I and II was witnessed by the mixing ratios 2 and 1.5 respectively indicating them to be the ideal mixing ratio. Considerably higher biogas production was observed for both the setup of anaerobic co-digestion than mono-digestion. Also, set II exhibited higher biogas production than set I. The results portrayed that pretreatment followed by co-digestion provided quicker and higher biogas production.

Luminescent Tb³⁺ functionalized metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are prepared and act as food preservatives sensor and water scavenger for NO₂–. Classical metal–organic frameworks with uncoordinated N atoms in pores are elected as carrier to encapsulate Tb³⁺ ions. This Tb³⁺ incorporated material reveals excellent characteristic green luminescence of Tb³⁺ and good fluorescence stability in water. Subsequently, we choose this probe for sensing NO₂– among several food preservative compounds, showing a highly sensitive capability for detection of NO₂–; it is then proved that the Dexter energy transfer (DET) causes the luminescent quenching between Tb³⁺ and NO₂–, achieving the detection of NO₂–. This probe is also employed to detect the NO₂– in real water samples and act as water scavenger to remove the NO₂– in drinking water, showing a good removal capacity 3.45 mg (75.0 μmol) of NO₂– per gram of particles.

The usual vulnerability assessment is often sectoral and hazard-specific. With the nexus approach on water, energy and food (WEF), it is recognized that these three sectors have interactions and synergies and tradeoffs in their activities. Security has five dimensions, namely: availability, accessibility, affordability, accessibility, quality and sustainability. This study involved developing and implementing an integrated vulnerability assessment (IVA) methodology and framework of WEF security nexus applied to a watershed. The framework considered the watershed with three sub-systems of ecological, energy and food interacting with water as the common element. The same concept of vulnerability assessment was used for IVA as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. IVA was operationalized by identifying variables or parameters pertaining to relationships among WEF and inclusion of sectoral variables related to the various dimensions of security. Based on the study, IVA of WEF nexus is a more holistic approach in assessing vulnerability. IVA account for the relationships among the sectors, in contrast to the sectoral approach. Using the combined climate risks due to different hazards (intense typhoons, erratic rainfall, severe drought, and temperature rise) gives a broader coverage unlike the hazard-specific approach. Parameters used were applicable for IVA of the watershed area. Additional relevant variables can be included if data are available.

The effect of esterification on hydrolyzed rice starch was analyzed, for this aim rice starch was hydrolyzed and subsequently esterified with lauroyl chloride at three modification levels. Starch derivatives were characterized regarding their degree of substitution (DS), water solubility index, z-potential, gelatinization, and digestibility properties. DS of derivatives of rice starch laurate ranged from 0.042 to 1.86. It was determined that after esterification the water solubility index increased from 3.44 to 53.61%, the z-potential decreased from −3.18 to −11.27, and the content of slowly digestible starch (SDS) decreased from 26.22 to 5.13%. Different emulsions with starch concentrations ranging from 6 to 30 wt% were evaluated. The most stable emulsions were those having 20 and 30 wt% of rice starch laurate.

Water, energy, and agriculture have been conventionally dealt with separately in investment planning. For each of these sectors, regulatory frameworks, organizations, and infrastructures have been put in place to address sector-specific challenges and demands. As the Middle East and North Africa works towards building a more sustainable future, a nexus approach that considers the risks and synergies among these sectors is needed. To demonstrate the added value of a nexus approach, this report applies scenario analysis and integrated assessment modelling of the water-energy-food nexus to the Middle East and North Africa. The analysis finds that water scarcity increases in all countries in the region over the coming decades, mostly due to growing demands. More importantly, the analysis finds that many countries in the region could run out of fossil groundwater by 2050 unless measures to curb unsustainable abstraction are implemented. The impacts of growing scarcity on agriculture are significant, with production projected to drop by 60 by 2050 in some countries. On the upside, reducing the dependence of the agricultural and energy sectors on water and transitioning to renewable energies can reduce water scarcity, at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This report is targeted to policy makers, the academic community, and a wider global audience interested in exploring the interactions between water, agriculture, and energy.

El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es tratar sobre el concepto básico del agua, la situación actual del agua en el mundo, la demanda del agua, la disponibilidad del agua en el Perú, su utilización en sectores agrícolas, sectores mineros, sectores de energía y principalmente sectores de las industrias. De cómo en la actualidad están usando y manipulando el agua, pues nos indica las formas de obtención del agua y de métodos sencillos de potabilizar este recurso. En otro ámbito también el uso del agua en los restaurantes, así como en los comedores populares en zonas vulnerables que luchan contra la desnutrición, al mismo tiempo de como poder reutilizar el agua en zonas donde carecen de este recurso primordial. Gracias a este trabajo podemos utilizar el ozono como un método para potabilizar el agua no solo en los hogares así como en las industrias de toda índole, también el uso de las técnicas de cocción en la preparación de alimentos ya que de esta manera en el área de industrias alimentarias podemos usar menos agua a la hora de preparar alimentos y así no dejamos que los nutrientes de los alimentos se pierdan fácilmente.

Water, energy and food are essential resources for economic development and social well-being. Framing integrated policies that improve their efficient use requires understanding the interdependencies in the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. Stakeholder involvement in this process is crucial to represent multiple perspectives, ensure political legitimacy and promote dialogue. In this research, we develop and apply a participatory modelling approach to identify the main interlinkages within the WEF nexus in Andalusia, as a starting point to developing a system dynamic model at a later stage. The application of fuzzy cognitive mapping enabled us to gain knowledge on the WEF nexus according to opinions from 14 decision-makers, as well as contributing to raising awareness and building consensus among stakeholders. Results show that climate change and water availability are key drivers in the WEF nexus in Andalusia. Other variables with significant interlinkages within the WEF nexus are food production, irrigated agriculture, energy cost, socio-economic factors, irrigation water use, environmental conservation, and farm performance indicators. The scenario analysis reveals the interdependencies among nexus sectors and the existence of unanticipated effects when changing variables in the system, which need to be considered to design integrated policies.

Review of the Impacts on Water of Land-Use Changes Induced by Non-food Biomass Production (chapter 5)

Water, energy and food (WEF) systems are highly interconnected and they directly and indirectly affect one another. Science based tools that quantify the direct and indirect interconnections between water, energy and food systems are essential for informing effective WEF policy-making. The Q-Nexus Model is a mathematically-based quantitative WEF nexus assessment tool that serves as platform to quantify, simulate and optimize water, energy and food as interconnected systems of resources. This paper presents a generic scenario-based framework of using Q-Nexus Model for informing about the nexus effects that need to be reflected in the WEF planning and policy-making settings. Firstly, the technical features of the Q-Nexus Model and its capability to evaluate the direct and indirect quantitative effects are introduced. Secondly, the use of the Q-Nexus Model to quantify and simulate numerous key challenges and policy options are then presented. At the practical level, a numerical experiment is presented, and results are discussed. Lastly, the conclusions and further developments are presented.

Recent advances in detailed multiregional input-output databases offers new opportunities to use these environmental accounting tools to explore the interrelationships between energy, water and food–the energy-water-food nexus. This paper takes the UK asa case study and calculates energy, water and food consumption-based accounts for 1997–2013. Policies, designed to reduce the environmental impact of consumption of products, can intervene at many stages in a product’s whole life-time from ‘cradle to gate’. We use input-output analysis techniques to investigate the interaction between the energy, water and food impacts of products at different points along their supply chains, from the extraction of material and burning of energy, to the point of final consumption. We identify the twenty most important final products whose large energy, water and food impacts could be captured by various demand-side strategies such as reducing food waste or dietary changes. We then use structural-path analysis to calculate the twenty most important supply chains whose impact could be captured by resource efficiency policies which act at the point of extraction and during the manufacturing process. Finally, we recognise that strategies that aim to reduce environmental impacts should not harm the socioeconomic well-being of the UK and her trade partners and suggest that pathways should be targeted where the employment and value added dependencies are relatively low.