Water-Food Nexus in East and Southeast Asia

Growing demands on natural resources such as water, energy, and food (WEF) have posed serious global challenges over the last decades. The concept of WEF nexus has emerged to address these challenges and provide a framework for sustainable resource allocation strategies. Among the varying interactions between the water, energy, and food sectors, this chapter reviews the water-food (WF) nexus relationship in East and Southeast Asia. Some indicators that are widely adopted for WF nexus analysis are introduced, including crop water estimation, water-food footprints, and virtual water trade. Furthermore, the regional relationships representing the WF nexus status in East and Southeast Asia are reviewed, and their implications for WF nexus security are discussed. Throughout this chapter, we demonstrate the importance of WF nexus analysis for ensuring sustainable food production and water security.