The Water Energy Nexus is the relationship between the water used for energy production and the energy consumed to extract, purify, deliver, heat/cool, treat and dispose of water (and wastewater) sometimes referred to as the energy intensity. Now to understand the water energy nexus simply, can just say, “Energy supply depends on water, whereas Water supply depends on energy”.
The relationship is however quite dynamic as the water used for energy production doesn’t necessarily have to be the same water that is processed using said energy, but all forms of energy production require some input of water making the relationship indissoluble.
Research has it that the interdependency of water and energy is set to intensify in the coming years, with significant implications for both energy and water security as each resource faces rising demands and constraints in many regions due to economic growth, population growth and climate change.
You should not only know but understand that water is essential for all phases of energy production, from relic fuels to biofuels and power generation, and energy is also vital for a range of water processes, including water distribution, wastewater treatment and purification. So one could say that energy production is vulnerable to having insufficient water either from natural or man-made reasons like regulation.
The current status of this relationship depicts more than half the global population lacks access to proper sanitation services with approximately a third of the global population affected by water scarcity. Also, roughly 80% of wastewater is discharged untreated, adding to already problematic levels of water pollution(webstore.iea.org/world-energy-outlook-2018).
Energy is an essential part of the solution, and World Energy Outlook 2018(WEO) analysis shows that achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation would add less than 1% to global energy demand in the Sustainable Development Scenario by 2030. However, there are potential synergies between SDG 6 on water and SDG 7 (ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all).
