Water, Energy, Land, and Food (WELF) Nexus: An Ecosystems Perspective
A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Energy, Land and Food (WELF) Nexus".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 53
Special Issue Editors
Interests: environmental education and policy; water resources; energy policy; sustainable development goals (SDGs)
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Water–Energy–Land–Food (WELF) Nexus highlights the complex interdependencies among these critical resources. Climate change, population growth, and urbanization are intensifying pressures on resource availability, necessitating integrated approaches for sustainable management. Traditionally, these resources have been managed in isolation, leading to inefficiencies and conflicts all over the world.
An ecosystem perspective enhances WELF Nexus analysis by incorporating ecological processes, biodiversity conservation, and natural resource flows. Ecosystem-based approaches help reveal trade-offs and synergies, informing strategies that balance human needs with environmental sustainability. This is particularly relevant in addressing issues such as land-use changes affecting water availability, energy production influencing food security, and climate change exacerbating resource scarcity.
The WELF Nexus is crucial for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water), SDG 7 (Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By integrating ecosystem services into Nexus assessments, decision-makers can develop adaptive policies that enhance resilience and optimize resource use.
Understanding WELF interconnections across spatial and temporal scales supports sustainable land management, promotes renewable energy, ensures food security, and balances water allocation. This interdisciplinary approach is essential for addressing emerging environmental and socio-economic challenges in an era of rapid global change.
The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights into the Water–Energy–Land–Food (WELF) Nexus from an ecosystem perspective.
This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:
- Theoretical Frameworks: Integrating ecosystem services into WELF Nexus analysisl;
- Modeling Approaches: GIS-based tools and system dynamics modeling;
- Case Studies: Regional perspectives across urban and rural landscapes;
- Policy and Governance: Sustainable land-use planning and/or resource management;
- Technological Innovations: Renewable energy, precision agriculture, smart cities.
We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.
Dr. Reginaldo Geremias
Dr. Naoki Masuhara
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- sustainable resource management
- climate change adaptation
- land-use planning
- water–energy–food interactions
- biodiversity conservation
- renewable energy and sustainability
- integrated policy and governance
- synergies and tradeoffs
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