This article investigates the relationship between the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in Brazil in an exploratory and statistical study over the period from 2000 to 2013. For that purpose, the explanatory variables considered were the following: Access to improved water; Access to electricity and Average protein supply. Furthermore, it was introduced some brief facts about WEF nexus security in Brazil. With such explanatory variables, it was performed descriptive statistics, ensuring the assumption of data normality approach, and consequently calculating the descriptive statistics and correlation. The results of correlation showed that the quantitative relation between the three factors was extremely strong. These data allowed to understand the relation between these indicators and its status as a nexus in Brazil. Therefore, it is concluded that pursuing an active policy to manage demand in WEF nexus could lead sustainability processes.

This article investigates the relationship between the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in Brazil in an exploratory and statistical study over the period from 2000 to 2013. For that purpose, the explanatory variables considered were the following: Access to improved water; Access to electricity and Average protein supply. Furthermore, some brief facts about WEF nexus security in Brazil was introduced. With such explanatory variables, descriptive statistics was performed, ensuring the assumption of data normality approach, and consequently calculating the descriptive statistics and correlation. The results of correlation showed that the quantitative relation between the three factors was extremely strong. These data allowed to understand the relation between these indicators and its status as a nexus in Brazil. Therefore, it is concluded that pursuing an active policy to manage demand in WEF nexus could lead sustainability processes.

The main challenge faced by agriculture is to produce enough food for a continued increase in population, however in the context of ever-growing competition for water and land, climate change, droughts and anthropic water scarcity, and less-participatory water governance. Such a context implies innovative issues in agricultural water management and practices, at both the field and the system or the basin scales, mainly in irrigation to cope with water scarcity, environmental friendliness, and rural society welfare. Therefore, this special issue was set to present and discuss recent achievements in water, agriculture, and food nexus at different scales, thus to promote sustainable development of irrigated agriculture and to develop integrated approaches to water and food. Papers cover various domains including: (a) evapotranspiration and crop water use; (b) improving water management in irrigated agriculture, particularly irrigation scheduling; (c) adaptation of agricultural systems to enhance water use and water productivity to face water scarcity and climate change; (d) improving irrigation systems design and management adopting multi-criteria and risk approaches; (e) ensuring sustainable management for anthropic ecosystems favoring safe and high-quality food production, as well as the conservation of natural ecosystems; (f) assessing the impact of water scarcity and, mainly, droughts; (g) conservation of water quality resources, namely by preventing contamination with nitrates; (h) use of modern mapping technologies and remote sensing information; and (i) fostering a participative and inclusive governance of water for food security and population welfare.

Editorial | The main challenge faced by agriculture is to produce enough food for a continued increase in population, however in the context of ever-growing competition for water and land, climate change, droughts and anthropic water scarcity, and less-participatory water governance. Such a context implies innovative issues in agricultural water management and practices, at both the field and the system or the basin scales, mainly in irrigation to cope with water scarcity, environmental friendliness, and rural society welfare. Therefore, this special issue was set to present and discuss recent achievements in water, agriculture, and food nexus at di erent scales, thus to promote sustainable development of irrigated agriculture and to develop integrated approaches to water and food. Papers cover various domains including: (a) evapotranspiration and crop water use; (b) improving water management in irrigated agriculture, particularly irrigation scheduling; (c) adaptation of agricultural systems to enhance water use and water productivity to face water scarcity and climate change; (d) improving irrigation systems design and management adopting multi-criteria and risk approaches; (e) ensuring sustainable management for anthropic ecosystems favoring safe and high-quality food production, as well as the conservation of natural ecosystems; (f) assessing the impact of water scarcity and, mainly, droughts; (g) conservation of water quality resources, namely by preventing contamination with nitrates; (h) use of modern mapping technologies and remote sensing information; and (i) fostering a participative and inclusive governance of water for food security and population welfare | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

1. Introduction 2. Linking Water and Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) 3. Agricultural Water Management 4. Water Governance for FSN 5. Water, FSN and Social Justice Index | Non-PR | IFPRI5; CRP5; 1 Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply; G Cross-cutting gender theme | EPTD | CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)

In many slums and informal settlements in the global South, the quality of water accessed by poor people is so bad that it adversely affects health and nutrition, especially of children and babies. Moreover, many of these settlements lack adequate sanitation, which contributes to disease, such as diarrhoea, which further contributes to poor nutritional outcomes. Safe drinking water and sanitation are fundamental to the nutrition, health and dignity of all. Despite the progress made in achieving global targets around water and sanitation, about 3 in 10 people, or 2.1 billion lack access to safe, readily available water at home, and 6 in 10, or 4.5 billion, lack safely managed sanitation. Growing water scarcity and variability will increase the competition for water resources across sectors, with water often being taken away from the agricultural sector to drive greater economic value per unit of water in other sectors. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.