Multidisciplinary and Inter-Sectoral Collaborations in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Examples from Japan and Thailand

This chapter provides a brief overview of the water-energy-food nexus and lays out a framework that describes the interlinkages between each nexus component. Case studies from Japan and Thailand are explored in the context of the developed framework, with particular emphasis on the water and food components of the nexus. The example from Kumamoto (Japan), a managed agricultural water ponding program for groundwater recharge that supports both the local farming industry and a multitude of downstream water users, has been operating successfully for nearly two decades. Costs, benefits, and implementation challenges of the program are discussed. The Thailand case study similarly considers how upstream agricultural production affects downstream water users, although the focus is more on the negative impacts of such activities, including higher streamflow volatility and hence increased likelihood of extreme events like droughts and floods. We conclude that a decentralized approach like the payment for ecosystem services program implemented in Kumamoto could be used in a portfolio of management options to incentivize efficient upstream land management in Thailand, ultimately resulting in reduced negative impacts to downstream users.