About

A Penn State University Strategic Initiative:
A Systems Approach for Meeting Local and Global
Water–Energy–Food Nexus Challenges

“Penn State will be a leader in creating comprehensive solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change and address the challenges of providing safe and abundant water, clean and renewable energy sources, and plentiful and nutritious food.”    — Penn State Strategic Plan

This initiative unites the Penn State community in developing and testing systematic conceptual models of varied water-energy-food nexus challenges in developed and developing communities. The resulting frameworks and principles can be used to guide interventions that promote sustainable development and foster capacity building with local and global partners.

Graphical representation of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Clean Energy Solution Center, Clean Energy Ministerial (2011).

 

We are contributing to the university’s priorities by:

1. Driving fundamental science relevant to critical problems – by answering questions and developing approaches to study integrated socio-ecological systems which are critical to the development of technologies and policies that promote sustainability;

2. Developing technologies for implementation – by engaging Penn State researchers with local and international communities to integrate economic, social, and governmental policy with appropriate technologies to sustainably address food-energy-water challenges, such as: (1) food value chains; (2) off-grid food, energy, and water systems; and (3) environmental protection and reclamation;

3. Improving modeling capability – by developing, testing, and refining a conceptual model of water-energy-food systems that includes interactions with environmental, economic, social, public policy, geophysical, and climate-related systems;

4. Fully engaging our research infrastructure – by collaborating across colleges, campuses, and institutes; utilizing the Sustainability Experience Center as a living lab to educate students in food-energy-water nexus strategies and prepare them for implementation activities;

5. Forging broad and relevant partnerships – by establishing cross-college and cross-campus research partnerships, engaging with our international colleagues, pursuing diverse funding sources, and working with end users to enhance capacity building.

This initiative includes researchers from multiple disciplines working in the WEF-Nexus space to rigorously understand and address sustainability challenges locally and around the world. Our project team currently spans 11 academic colleges as well as Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs.