Shahnila Islam, Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew schol de políticas públicas, shahnila@nus.edu.sg
Abstract
Water and energy are interconnected. The water-energy nexus implies that energy policy effects water use and vice versa. Therefore, holistic water and energy policies are required for the efficient management of these resources. Water and energy are key inputs in the production of food through agriculture. However, many of the current energy and agriculture policies provide electricity and water at no cost to farmers, leading to over-use of water and energy. In many agricultural economies in the developing world, appropriate energy policies are cited as an efficient tool to manage scarce water resources. Agricultural policies are often overlooked although they impact water and energy use through subsidies that change farming practices. In developing countries, where agriculture provides livelihoods for a significant portion of the rural population, they can complement energy and water policies in achieving efficiency goals. This paper addresses the role of agricultural policy within the water-energy nexus.
Keywords: Water-energy nexus, Groundwater, Agricultural policy