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Developing indicators for the monitoring of the sustainability of food, energy, and water

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  • Yuan, Mei-Hua
  • Lo, Shang-Lien

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges currently facing the world is the ever-increasing scarcity of resources vital for sustainability. According to the United Nations, by 2030, people will require 30% more water, 45% more energy, and 50% more food. The sustainability of food, energy, and water (FEW) has become a critical area of study for environmental science. The motivation for this study is that there are currently no comprehensive indicators for monitoring the achievement of FEW sustainability worldwide. In this study, a transparent methodology that can be used to develop a set of newly linked indicators that can be used to compare FEW sustainability in different geographical areas is developed. By focusing on providing a general picture of the FEW sustainability, this study proposes an indicator on a national scale. The resulting “Linked Indicators for FEW AvailabilitY” (LIFEWAY) is an integrated indicator that measures the sustainability achievements for a country. This study provides an overview of the FEW sustainability for 42 developed and developing countries. The results confirm that the LIFEWAY index is significantly associated with GDP and can be used to perform an assessment regarding the FEW sustainability for a country. It can be used to analyze specific issues, and allows regional and national solutions to be developed.

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  • Yuan, Mei-Hua & Lo, Shang-Lien, 2020. "Developing indicators for the monitoring of the sustainability of food, energy, and water," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:119:y:2020:i:c:s1364032119307737
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109565
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    2. Custodio, Henry M. & Hadjikakou, Michalis & Bryan, Brett A., 2023. "A review of socioeconomic indicators of sustainability and wellbeing building on the social foundations framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    3. Libor Ansorge, 2023. "Why Don’t Scientists Follow the Water Footprint Assessment Manual? Example of One Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-5, June.
    4. Ali, Babkir & Hedayati-Dezfooli, M. & Gamil, Ahmed, 2023. "Sustainability assessment of alternative energy power generation pathways through the development of impact indicators for water, land, GHG emissions, and cost," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
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    6. Yuan, Mei-Hua & Lo, Shang-Lien, 2022. "Principles of food-energy-water nexus governance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    7. Zolfaghari, Mehdi & Jariani, Farzaneh, 2020. "Water-Energy-Food Nexus in the Middle East and North African Countries (MENA)," MPRA Paper 104583, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Jha, Priyanka & Schmidt, Stefan, 2021. "State of biofuel development in sub-Saharan Africa: How far sustainable?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    9. Brayan Alexis Parra-Orobio & Jonathan Soto-Paz & Anulfo Ramos-Santos & Keiner Fernando Sanjuan-Quintero & Rossember Saldaña-Escorcia & Isabel Cristina Dominguez-Rivera & Antoni Sánchez, 2023. "Assessment of the Water Footprint in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods from Developing Countries: Case Study Fátima (Gamarra, Colombia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, April.
    10. Christian Barika Igbeghe & Tamás Mizik & Zoltán Gabnai & Attila Bai, 2023. "Trends and Characterization of Primary Energy Sources by Energy and Food Prices," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, March.

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    Keywords

    Food; Energy; Water; Indicator; LIFEWAY; Nexus;
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