Water centrality to enabling water-energy-food systems

Water is a key enabler of global water-energy-food nexus systems. The role of water in energy generation and its role in food provision, is made explicit. These are aspects that are often overlooked, or ‘embedded’ in assessments, skimming over the critical role that water plays in societal-enabling systems. The historical role of water in enabling agriculture, settlements, civilization, and development is discussed. The role of water in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is discussed, showing that in some cases, achieving water-related goals in de-facto necessary for the accomplishment of others. Water may be the most important resource needed in a broader water-energy-food context, as well as in the scope of human development. The review highlights the consequences of ‘water going wrong’. The paper ends with a call for greater ‘nexus awareness’ in policy and decision making, while cautioning against the potential ironic situation of returning to a sectoral, water-centric view of resource management.