We analyse how salinity, acidity and erosion threaten the ecosystem services of food production and the regulation of water quality in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia’s most important food producing region. We used the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, to show that each of these threats undermines the functioning of the Basin’s agro-ecosystems and the two major ecosystem services (four other ecosystem services are briefly considered). These threats are driven by natural processes (e.g. rainfall) and anthropogenic activity (e.g. land clearing), and this leads to pressures exerted by hydrology, nutrient cycles and wind. Satisfactory information is available on the state of acidity and wind erosion, but information on the state of water erosion and salinity is inadequate. The impact of these threats on food production was primarily by reducing crop yield, while the impacts on water quality were to increase sediment, salt and nutrient loads. Management responses were either adaptive or mitigative; the former targets impacts while the latter focuses on drivers and pressures. Most management responses involved trade-offs between ecosystem services, although some synergies were found. Scale and spatial variability strongly influence the selection of responses. Understanding the mechanisms underpinning land degrading threats and the associated relationships allows better assessment on impacts to ecosystem services.

Water quality in China is becoming a severe challenge for agriculture and food safety, and it might also impact health of population via agriculture and food. Thus, it is causing widespread concern. Based on extensive literatures review and data mining, current situation of water pollution in China and its effects on food safety were analyzed. The 2nd National Water Resource Survey in China show that the surface water all over the country was under slight pollution and about 60% of groundwater is polluted. Drinking water quality is basically guaranteed in urban area but it is worrisome in rural areas. In addition, China is the largest consumer of fertilizer and pesticide in the world and the amounts of application still show increasing trends. Fertilizers and pesticides are the most important sources of pollution, which affect human health as persistent organic pollutants and environmental endocrine disruptors. Eutrophication of surface water and nitrate pollution of groundwater are serious threats to drinking water safety. Sewage irrigation is becoming a pollution source to China's water and land because of lacking of effective regulations. Although, with the advance in technology and management level, control of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions and reducing water pollution is still a major challenge for China.

The water-energy-food nexus is a concept increasingly being used with reference to integrated decision-making across sectors. Action in one area will impact one or both of the other areas. Sustainable development and growth can be achieved by better management of the world's ecosystems and a more strategic use of water, land and other natural resources. Water, energy and food resources are not spread evenly across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) resulting in an imbalance in endowments. Opportunities exist in sharing the benefits of particular resources across international boundaries for the benefit of the region and to optimize resource use. This paper considers each sector, investigating the current institutional support for integration and evidence of such integration taking place. Broadening the lens of integrated and regional resources planning in SADC may increase the resilience of the region and optimize the use of limited natural resources. Barriers to using the nexus at a regional scale tend to include the power of sovereignty over regional policies in addition to the physical challenges of managing resources over a large area.

Food security remains one of the most pressing concerns of this century. This article explores the often overlooked role of water scarcity in food security. This is particularly important within the African context, because most states on the continent rely heavily on agriculture. The article therefore focuses on Africa, discussing triggers and practices related to water usage currently in place, as well as their impact on development. The authors offer various recommendations on how to improve and streamline policies to encourage efficient water use.

Water quality in China is becoming a severe challenge for agriculture and food safety, and it might also impact health of population via agriculture and food. Thus, it is causing widespread concern. Based on extensive literatures review and data mining, current situation of water pollution in China and its effects on food safety were analyzed. The 2nd National Water Resource Survey in China show that the surface water all over the country was under slight pollution and about 60% of groundwater is polluted. Drinking water quality is basically guaranteed in urban area but it is worrisome in rural areas. In addition, China is the largest consumer of fertilizer and pesticide in the world and the amounts of application still show increasing trends. Fertilizers and pesticides are the most important sources of pollution, which affect human health as persistent organic pollutants and environmental endocrine disruptors. Eutrophication of surface water and nitrate pollution of groundwater are serious threats to drinking water safety. Sewage irrigation is becoming a pollution source to China's water and land because of lacking of effective regulations. Although, with the advance in technology and management level, control of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions and reducing water pollution is still a major challenge for China.

Water quality in China is becoming a severe challenge for agriculture and food safety, and it might also impact health of population via agriculture and food. Thus, it is causing widespread concern. Based on extensive literatures review and data mining, current situation of water pollution in China and its effects on food safety were analyzed. The 2nd National Water Resource Survey in China show that the surface water all over the country was under slight pollution and about 60% of groundwater is polluted. Drinking water quality is basically guaranteed in urban area but it is worrisome in rural areas. In addition, China is the largest consumer of fertilizer and pesticide in the world and the amounts of application still show increasing trends. Fertilizers and pesticides are the most important sources of pollution, which affect human health as persistent organic pollutants and environmental endocrine disruptors. Eutrophication of surface water and nitrate pollution of groundwater are serious threats to drinking water safety. Sewage irrigation is becoming a pollution source to China’s water and land because of lacking of effective regulations. Although, with the advance in technology and management level, control of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions and reducing water pollution is still a major challenge for China.

Watersheds, climate regimes and nature in general do not abide to boundaries created by human institutions, increasing the difficulty for these institutions to manage them. Human activity is, on the other hand, capable of linking geographically separate regions through trade and supply chains. Implementing the water-energyfood nexus therefore often requires science and policy to work on a trans-boundary level. This article looks at two examples of quantitative trans-boundary approaches in science. Johansson explored the effects of foreign land acquisition on regional water scarcity through virtual water flows. The virtual water flows were based on the water used to produce the exported food and energy crops. The flows were aggregated on a national basis to compare countries. Van der Krogt presented a water simulation model for the Eastern Nile Basin, developed through joint cooperation between the four Eastern Nile countries. The model incorporates information on all current, planned and potential water infrastructure and irrigation projects into different scenarios. These are compared with a long term hydrological baseline to assess the impact development has on downstream water supply. This new tool allows Eastern Nile countries to better understand how their actions can affect downstream neighbours.

The paper introduces a framework and set of methodologies that define the linkages between the interconnected resources of water, energy and food, and enable explicit corresponding quantifications. The paper presents a new water–energy–food (WEF) Nexus modelling tool (WEF Nexus Tool 2.0) based on that framework which offers a common platform for scientists and policy-makers to evaluate scenarios and identify sustainable national resource allocation strategies. The tool is applied to a case study focusing on Qatar, a hyper-arid Gulf country.

The Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) covers 1.1 million km², involves six legislative jurisdictions, a myriad of different agencies and illustrates the many complexities of managing fishes, people and water. Its rivers provide water for agriculture, are highly regulated and generally in poor health. Water allocation reform is underway to improve ecological condition but provision of water for environmental outcomes competes with agricultural requirements. Murray–Darling Basin rivers and fishes are important culturally and contribute substantially to tourism and recreational fishing. The MDB has a low number of fish species, now estimated to be at 10% of their pre‐European abundance, and all subject to a range of threats, many related to water use and associated infrastructure. The MDB Native Fish Strategy takes a coordinated, long‐term, whole‐of‐fish‐community approach to address priority threats and rehabilitate populations. This strategy provides a holistic approach with many actions that complement the potential benefits of water reform.

In this paper, we shall resume some of our research in the field of water security and sustainable economic development. Therefore, we define and further analyze the concept of water security, highlighting its actual increased importance for sustained economic growth and poverty alleviation. While the global demand for food is rising, there are several actors that will critically limit food production: the increased urbanization, the rising prices on inputs, the pressure on water resources and the increased crops and livestock vulnerability to climate change.We may find a strong link between water security and food security, in the global resource nexus model. These issues are shown to be important also in Romania, in our times of climate change and of increased small-scale farmers’ vulnerability. In agreement with the experts and considering the strategic relevance of these aspects, we aim to stress more on the importance of investment in water infrastructure in the rural areas of Romania, to achieve the water security required for a sustainable agri-food and rural development. Moreover, we highlight directions of integrated water management in view of a green economy. As a main recommendation is the need to implement programs and policies promoting water security, as well as water resource efficiency in the Romanian agriculture and rural development programs.