IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v11y2024i1d10.1057_s41599-024-03332-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Implementing interdisciplinary sustainability education with the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus

Author

Listed:
  • Chelsie Romulo

    (and Sustainability at University of Northern Colorado)

  • Bhawani Venkataraman

    (The New School)

  • Susan Caplow

    (University of St Thomas)

  • Shamili Ajgaonkar

    (College of DuPage)

  • Craig R. Allen

    (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

  • Aavudai Anandhi

    (Florida A&M University)

  • Steven W. Anderson

    (University of Northern Colorado)

  • Caterina Belle Azzarello

    (Doctoral Student of Educational Psychology at University of Northern Colorado)

  • Katja Brundiers

    (University of Freiburg)

  • Eunice Blavascunas

    (Whitman College)

  • Jenny M. Dauer

    (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

  • Daniel L. Druckenbrod

    (Department of Earth and Chemical Sciences at Rider University)

  • Ennea Fairchild

    (Social Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

  • Lydia R. Horne

    (Associate Director of Sustainable Ecotourism and Recreation Programs. Unity Environmental University)

  • Kyungsun Lee

    (University of Arkansas at Little Rock)

  • Marizvkuru Mwale

    (University of Venda)

  • John Mischler

    (Goshen College)

  • Emily Pappo

    (Smithsonian Institution)

  • Nirav S. Patel

    (Binghamton University)

  • Nicole D. Sintov

    (The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources)

  • Carla S. Ramsdell

    (Department of Physics and Astronomy)

  • Shirley G. Vincent

    (Vincent Evaluation Consulting LLC)

Abstract

Growth in the green jobs sector has increased demand for college graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce with interdisciplinary sustainability skills. Simultaneously, scholarly calls for interdisciplinary collaboration in the service of addressing the societal challenges of enhancing resilience and sustainability have also increased in recent years. However, developing, executing, and assessing interdisciplinary content and skills at the post-secondary level has been challenging. The objective of this paper is to offer the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus as a powerful way to achieve sustainability competencies and matriculate graduates who will be equipped to facilitate the transformation of the global society by meeting the targets set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The paper presents 10 curricular design examples that span multiple levels, including modules, courses, and programs. These modules enable clear evaluation and assessment of key sustainability competencies, helping to prepare graduates with well-defined skillsets who are equipped to address current and future workforce needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Chelsie Romulo & Bhawani Venkataraman & Susan Caplow & Shamili Ajgaonkar & Craig R. Allen & Aavudai Anandhi & Steven W. Anderson & Caterina Belle Azzarello & Katja Brundiers & Eunice Blavascunas & Jen, 2024. "Implementing interdisciplinary sustainability education with the food-energy-water (FEW) nexus," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03332-7
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03332-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-03332-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-024-03332-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter G. Mahaffy & Stephen A. Matlin & Thomas A. Holme & Jennifer MacKellar, 2019. "Systems thinking for education about the molecular basis of sustainability," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(5), pages 362-370, May.
    2. Nhamo, Luxon & Ndlela, B. & Nhemachena, Charles & Mabhaudhi, T. & Mpandeli, S. & Matchaya, Greenwell, 2018. "The water-energy-food nexus: climate risks and opportunities in southern Africa," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 10(5):1-18..
    3. Michael A. Levy & Mark N. Lubell & Neil McRoberts, 2018. "The structure of mental models of sustainable agriculture," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(8), pages 413-420, August.
    4. Gregory Trencher & Masaru Yarime & Kes B. McCormick & Christopher N. H. Doll & Steven B. Kraines, 2014. "Beyond the third mission: Exploring the emerging university function of co-creation for sustainability," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(2), pages 151-179.
    5. Christoph Schank & Marco Rieckmann, 2019. "Socio-economically Substantiated Education for Sustainable Development: Development of Competencies and Value Orientations Between Individual Responsibility and Structural Transformation," Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, , vol. 13(1), pages 67-91, March.
    6. Steven Gray, 2018. "Measuring systems thinking," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(8), pages 388-389, August.
    7. Bazilian, Morgan & Rogner, Holger & Howells, Mark & Hermann, Sebastian & Arent, Douglas & Gielen, Dolf & Steduto, Pasquale & Mueller, Alexander & Komor, Paul & Tol, Richard S.J. & Yumkella, Kandeh K., 2011. "Considering the energy, water and food nexus: Towards an integrated modelling approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 7896-7906.
    8. Richard L. Wallace & Susan G. Clark, 2018. "Environmental studies and sciences in a time of chaos: problems, contexts, and recommendations," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 110-113, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Joel O. Botai & Christina M. Botai & Katlego P. Ncongwane & Sylvester Mpandeli & Luxon Nhamo & Muthoni Masinde & Abiodun M. Adeola & Michael G. Mengistu & Henerica Tazvinga & Miriam D. Murambadoro & S, 2021. "A Review of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Research in Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-26, February.
    2. Lalani, Baqir & Aminpour, Payam & Gray, Steven & Williams, Meredith & Büchi, Lucie & Haggar, Jeremy & Grabowski, Philip & Dambiro, José, 2021. "Mapping farmer perceptions, Conservation Agriculture practices and on-farm measurements: The role of systems thinking in the process of adoption," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    3. Cássia Juliana Fernandes Torres & Camilla Hellen Peixoto de Lima & Bárbara Suzart de Almeida Goodwin & Terencio Rebello de Aguiar Junior & Andrea Sousa Fontes & Daniel Veras Ribeiro & Rodrigo Saldanha, 2019. "A Literature Review to Propose a Systematic Procedure to Develop “Nexus Thinking” Considering the Water–Energy–Food Nexus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-32, December.
    4. Castilla-Rho, Juan & Kenny, Daniel, 2022. "What prevents the adoption of regenerative agriculture and what can we do about it? Lessons from a behaviorally-attuned Participatory Modelling exercise in Australia," OSF Preprints asxr2, Center for Open Science.
    5. Akinsete, Ebun & Koundouri, Phoebe & Landis, Conrad Felix Michel, 2022. "Modelling the WEF Nexus to support Sustainable Development: An African Case," MPRA Paper 122220, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Zhang, Tong & Tan, Qian & Yu, Xiaoning & Zhang, Shan, 2020. "Synergy assessment and optimization for water-energy-food nexus: Modeling and application," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    7. Andrew Chapman & Timothy Fraser & Melanie Dennis, 2019. "Investigating Ties between Energy Policy and Social Equity Research: A Citation Network Analysis," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Govindan, Rajesh & Al-Ansari, Tareq, 2019. "Computational decision framework for enhancing resilience of the energy, water and food nexus in risky environments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 653-668.
    9. Ingrid Boas & Frank Biermann & Norichika Kanie, 2016. "Cross-sectoral strategies in global sustainability governance: towards a nexus approach," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 449-464, June.
    10. Gesa Pflitsch & Verena Radinger-Peer, 2018. "Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, March.
    11. Lucia de Strasser, 2017. "Calling for Nexus Thinking in Africa’s Energy Planning," ESP: Energy Scenarios and Policy 263161, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    12. Dai, Jiangyu & Wu, Shiqiang & Han, Guoyi & Weinberg, Josh & Xie, Xinghua & Wu, Xiufeng & Song, Xingqiang & Jia, Benyou & Xue, Wanyun & Yang, Qianqian, 2018. "Water-energy nexus: A review of methods and tools for macro-assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 393-408.
    13. White, David J. & Hubacek, Klaus & Feng, Kuishuang & Sun, Laixiang & Meng, Bo, 2018. "The Water-Energy-Food Nexus in East Asia: A tele-connected value chain analysis using inter-regional input-output analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 550-567.
    14. Enrica De Cian & Ian Sue Wing, 2016. "Global Energy Demand in a Warming Climate," Working Papers 2016.16, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    15. Crabolu, Gloria & Font, Xavier & Eker, Sibel, 2023. "Evaluating policy complexity with Causal Loop Diagrams," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    16. Omolola M. Adeola & Abel Ramoelo & Brian Mantlana & Oscar Mokotedi & Wongalethu Silwana & Philemon Tsele, 2022. "Review of Publications on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Climate Change Adaptation Using Bibliometric Analysis: A Case Study of Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-15, October.
    17. Russeil, Valentin & Lo Seen, Danny & Broust, François & Bonin, Muriel & Praene, Jean-Philippe, 2023. "Food and electricity self-sufficiency trade-offs in Reunion Island: Modelling land-use change scenarios with stakeholders," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    18. Lee, Seung Oh & Jung, Younghun, 2018. "Efficiency of water use and its implications for a water-food nexus in the Aral Sea Basin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 80-90.
    19. Taheri, Mozhdeh & van Geenhuizen, Marina, 2016. "Teams' boundary-spanning capacity at university: Performance of technology projects in commercialization," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 31-43.
    20. Yang, Jin & Chen, Bin, 2016. "Energy–water nexus of wind power generation systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 1-13.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03332-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.