Alert in the dynamics of water-energy-food production in African countries from a nexus perspective

In African countries, limited knowledge about the co-production of water, energy, and food (WEF) resources and their sectoral interaction makes it problematic to define sufficient policy options to ensure their efficient and sustainable production. This study proposes a new approach to assess the WEF sectors' co-production in 47 African countries from 2000 to 2020. The study shows low and varied co-production between resource sectors in African countries. At the continental level, the water sector contributes 91.3% of its share to food and energy production and gets 10.5% back from these two sectors. Similarly, the energy sector contributes 17.7% of its share to food and water production and receives 39.1% from these two sectors. The food sector contributes a small percentage of 6.7% to the total production of the water and energy sectors, compared with the 79.5% it receives back from those two sectors. Limited and unsustainable collaboration between resource sectors is a major concern in all African countries, particularly between the food and energy sectors, and seems to be a continuous challenge for WEF security. Applying the co-production approach provides a dynamic pathway capable of helping practitioners identify opportunities and gaps among WEF production and plan investments to achieve their respective SDGs.