Quantifying Direct and Indirect Spatial Food–Energy–Water (FEW) Nexus in China
- 17 July 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Environmental Science & Technology
- Vol. 54 (16), 9791-9803
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b06548
Abstract
Food, energy, and water resources, which are interconnected with one another, are essential to human beings and sustainable development goals. Existing studies have quantified direct interconnections of food, energy, and water (FEW) systems in China, but overlooked their indirect and spatial interconnections through production systems of other products. Quantifying both the direct and indirect spatial interconnections of food, energy, and water systems is the basis of holistic FEW resource management. The spatial interconnections of the FEW systems within China’s economic supply chains at the provincial level was quantified from both demand-driven and supply-push perspectives in this study. Results show that food and energy subsystems have tighter coupling relations than the other relationships in FEW nexus from the demand perspective, and food and water subsystems have tighter coupling relations from the supply perspective. Findings of this study highlight the necessity of demand-side and supply-side measures by identifying critical final consumers and primary suppliers. For example, primary inputs of energy extraction sectors in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Heilongjiang are crucial for national water withdrawals. Sustainable management of FEW resources in China can be better achieved through strengthening the inter-departmental and interregional cooperation from both the demand and supply sides.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (51721093)
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (GML2019ZD0403)
This publication has 67 references indexed in Scilit:
- Atmospheric Mercury Footprints of NationsEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2015
- A Taxonomic Framework for Assessing Governance Challenges and Environmental Effects of Integrated Food-Energy SystemsEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2014
- Water resources transfers through Chinese interprovincial and foreign food tradeProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014
- A multi-regional input–output analysis of domestic virtual water trade and provincial water footprint in ChinaEcological Economics, 2014
- Food Losses and Waste in China and Their Implication for Water and LandEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2013
- Income-based environmental responsibilityEcological Economics, 2012
- Conceptualising environmental responsibilityEcological Economics, 2010
- A consistent input–output formulation of shared producer and consumer responsibilityEconomic Systems Research, 2005
- In Vindication of the Ghosh Model: A Reinterpretation as a Price ModelJournal of Regional Science, 1997
- Leontief versus Ghoshian Price and Quantity ModelsSouthern Economic Journal, 1996