Integrating biodiversity into the Water Energy Food Land Climate Nexus for holistic sustainability assessment of agriculture
Haseeb Akbar, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Discover Sustainability · 2025
Rising food demand intensifies pressure on resources and ecosystems, necessitating holistic sustainability assessments. While the Nexus frameworks evaluate resource interlinkages and identify hotspots, existing tools prioritize water, energy, land, and climate efficiencies, often overlooking biodiversity, a key determinant of ecosystem stability. This study addresses this gap by introducing three biodiversity indicators (biodiversity loss, mass productivity per biodiversity loss, and economic productivity per biodiversity loss) to establish a Water–Energy–Food–Land–Climate–Biodiversity (WEFLCB) Nexus framework. Applied to wheat production in Punjab, Pakistan, which is facing resource-ecosystems trade-offs, the framework employs geospatial analysis to assess sustainability across agro-climatic zones. Integrating biodiversity metrics amplified spatial variability. The northern region experienced a 6–16% decline in WEFLCB scores compared to the Water–Energy–Food–Land–Climate (WEFLC) nexus index, primarily due to biodiversity loss from intensive land use and management. In contrast, the central and southern zones showed improved WEFLCB scores as a result of incorporating biodiversity metrics. The southern and western arid regions exhibited excessive water use (> 5300 m³/ha), and the central plains emerged as greenhouse gas hotspots (~ 1460 kg CO₂-eq/ha) linked to energy-intensive practices. Productivity-adjusted metrics shifted sustainability hotspots to the north, highlighting yield limitations from multifactorial stresses. The Nexus score showed the highest sensitivity to energy use, while biodiversity per economic productivity and energy economic productivity were the least sensitive indicators. This study presents a biodiversity-inclusive Nexus framework as a scalable model for sustainable agriculture, balancing productivity with conservation to address food security and environmental resilience.
Supplementary information for a systematic review of sustainability assessment methodologies, indicators, and decision-making tools for municipal solid waste management
Bumyut, Apirak, Trakarn Prapaspongsa, Vladimir Strezov, Nazmul Huda, Witsanu Attavanich, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Mendeley Data · 2025
Supplementary information for a systematic review of sustainability assessment methodologies, indicators, and decision-making tools for municipal solid waste management, including Table S1: Data extraction form; Table S2: Framework for sustainability assessment tools; and Table S3: Data dictionary for Table S1.
Supplementary information for a systematic review of sustainability assessment methodologies, indicators, and decision-making tools for municipal solid waste management
Bumyut, Apirak, Trakarn Prapaspongsa, Vladimir Strezov, Nazmul Huda, Witsanu Attavanich, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Mendeley Data · 2025
Supplementary information for a systematic review of sustainability assessment methodologies, indicators, and decision-making tools for municipal solid waste management, including Table S1: Data extraction form; Table S2: Framework for sustainability assessment tools; and Table S3: Data dictionary for Table S1.
Optimizing sugarcane and cassava production in Thailand via water-energy food-land-climate nexus
Haseeb Akbar, Pariyapat Nilsalab, Shabbir H. Gheewala
Energy and Climate Change · 2025
Agriculture is a resource-intensive sector and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve sustainable development goals, agrarian economies must identify hotspots and improve resource efficiency through a holistic assessment of multiple factors. Sugarcane and cassava production in Thailand were studied focusing on the Northeast, North, and Central regions where these crops are predominantly cultivated. A comparative analysis was carried out considering three approaches: water–energy–food, water–energy–food–land, and water–energy–food–land–climate nexus. Adding land and then climate to the traditional water-energy-food nexus revealed further insights in resource use and greenhouse gas emissions. The Northeast had the best performance vis-à-vis resource efficiency for both the crops. The Central region showed low resource efficiency for sugarcane and the North for cassava. The analysis of these differences revealed important issues related to inefficiencies in water, energy, and fertilizer use. The spatial variation in sustainability offers insights for policymakers, helping them to understand the interdependencies of sustainable agricultural production and target interventions where they are most needed.
Techno-economic feasibility analysis of hybrid renewable energy system for off-grid African communities: Insights from a Zambian case study
Satnam Singh Virdy, Francis Yamba, Manish Mishra, Isaac N. Simate, Mala Ramesh, Mwansa Kaoma, Edwin Luwaya, Simon M. Tembo, Shabbir H. Gheewala
International Journal of Renewable Energy Development · 2025
As hybrid renewable energy systems are increasingly adopted for rural electrification, this study presents an approach for optimizing off-grid systems in resource-abundant regions. Using a Zambian case study, this study demonstrates actionable insights into the optimal selection and configuration of components for a renewable energy-based off-grid system designed for remote, unelectrified communities with access to solar, wind, and biomass resources. The system's technical, economic, and environmental performance was evaluated through simulation in HOMER Pro software, using various photovoltaic panel ratings (335W, 400W, and 445W), battery technologies (lead-acid, lead-carbon, and lithium-ion), and dispatch strategies (load-following, cycle-charging, predictive-dispatch, and combined-dispatch). Among several configurations, the one featuring a 445W photovoltaic panel and a lithium-ion battery operating under the load-following strategy demonstrated the lowest cost and highest environmental benefits. This configuration resulted in a total lifetime system cost of USD 3.857 million and a levelized cost of electricity of 0.1522 USD per kilowatt-hour, while reducing emissions by 99.9% compared to a diesel-only system. Sensitivity analysis, considering ±20% variations in component costs and discount rate, showed that battery cost had the largest influence, causing a 5 to 12% variation in system cost. These findings suggest that combining high-efficiency solar panels with advanced battery storage and an appropriate dispatch strategy can significantly enhance the affordability and sustainability of off-grid renewable energy systems for rural communities worldwide.
A Blueprint for Data-Driven Climate Action: A Quantified Mitigation Pathway for Chiang Mai Using GHG Accounting and Spatial Analysis
Sate Sampattagul, Phakphum Paluang, Shabbir H. Gheewala, Ratchayuda Kongboon
Urban Science · 2025
This study develops a replicable, data-driven framework for subnational climate action, demonstrated through a case study of Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The framework integrates a comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory with spatial analysis to identify and quantify location-specific mitigation strategies. Using 2019 as the base year, total emissions were 5,387,482 tCO2e (BASIC+), dominated by stationary energy (40%) and transportation (32%). Under a Business-as-Usual scenario, emissions are projected to reach 6.35 million tCO2e by 2030, highlighting an urgent need for intervention. As a key mitigation strategy, this research conducts a detailed spatial analysis of solar rooftop potential. The findings reveal a significant opportunity: a conservative 30% adoption rate on suitable rooftops could generate approximately 2070 GWh of clean energy annually, leading to an emissions reduction of over 1 million tCO2e. Crucially, this single intervention could offset 16% of the province’s projected 2030 emissions. This study presents a viable pathway for subnational entities to contribute to national climate targets, offering a practical blueprint for other cities and regions globally to develop effective, evidence-based climate action plans.