Measuring the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: The Case of Latin America and the Caribbean Region

The Water-Energy-Food Nexus (or WEF Nexus) is a conceptual framework for analysing and managing natural resources for life and sustainable development. It is well known that to produce food, water and energy are needed; to pump, treat or purify water, energy is needed; and energy production requires water. Under this statement, this paper presents an actual overview of the current state of the water-energy-food nexus in Latin American and The Caribbean countries. The analysis is divided in terms of water, energy and food production for each country. The proposed WEF Nexus index comprises three key indicators per sector, considering availability, access, and stability of sector’s resources. The obtained results show that three sectors need more attention for future development, especially in the Caribbean countries.