With ongoing economic growth, demand for natural resources such as water, energy and food continue to rise worldwide, especially in cities. The result is serious environmental degradation and climate change. Integrated urban planning to leverage on potential synergies of climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches urgently needs to be developed and implemented by 2030 for more effective climate action and to avert disastrous climatic consequences.
The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach is one way for cities to devise more sustainable development pathways. The approach advocates that supplying water to cities takes much energy, and that much water is also needed to produce energy and food. Planning these and other relevant sectors such as transportation, solid waste, land and ecosystem services in an integrated manner can support water, energy and food security and achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Water reclamation with integrated resource recovery particularly of energy and nutrients is a key synergy opportunity for the operationalization of the WEF Nexus approach. However, so far, the WEF Nexus approach has rarely been implemented at urban scales. More pilot projects are needed in order to test the viability of this approach.
The objective of the Nexus research group is to study the interaction between the sectors water, energy and food and other relevant sectors, and devise alternative future urban development scenarios to support the development of pilot projects at urban scales using case study cities in Africa and Asia.
For more information on the Nexus research group approach, watch the Nexus documentary film: "If not now, when? Planning for the urban Water-Energy-Food Nexus". Duration: 18 minutes. Link: https://vimeo.com/142941443
TUM is a frontrunner university with a targeted WEF Nexus research and teaching agenda. The TUM Nexus Lab (Nexus@TUM) clusters Nexus-related research and teaching activities at TUM. The Environmental Engineering Masters Programme offers the specialization Field of Study 11: „Water-Energy-Food Nexus”. For more information please visit www.nexus.wasser.tum.de
If you are interested in conducting a master thesis or study project in the WEF Nexus research group, please read the Nexus group guidelines and contact Dr. Daphne Gondhalekar. We are no longer accepting Bachelor thesis candidates.
Al-Azzawi, Mohammed S. M.; Gondhalekar, Daphne; Drewes, Jörg E.: Neighborhood-Scale Urban Water Reclamation with Integrated Resource Recovery for Establishing Nexus City in Munich, Germany: Pipe Dream or Reality? Resources 11 (7), 2022, 64 more…BibTeX
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Al-Azzawi, Mohammed S. M.; Gondhalekar, Daphne; Drewes, Jörg E.: Neighborhood-Scale Urban Water Reclamation with Integrated Resource Recovery for Establishing Nexus City in Munich, Germany: Pipe Dream or Reality? Resources 11 (7), 2022, 64 more…BibTeX
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Becker, Lukas; Gondhalekar, Daphne: Estimating the Water and Carbon Footprints of Growing Avocados in the Munich Metropolitan Region Using Waste Heat as a Water-Energy-Food Nexus Potential. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 6, 2022 more…BibTeX
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Gohari, Alireza; Savari, Peyman; Eslamian, Saeid; Etemadi, Nematollah; Keilmann-Gondhalekar, Daphne: Developing a system dynamic plus framework for water-land-society nexus modeling within urban socio-hydrologic systems. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 185, 2022, 122092 more…BibTeX
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Gondhalekar, D.; Drewes, J.E.; de Vries, T.W.: Nexus@TUM: TUM as Frontrunner University with a Targeted Research and Teaching Agenda on Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus. Water Solutions 1, 2022, 81-83 more…BibTeX
2021
Books / Contributions to Collections
Gondhalekar, D.; Hu, H.Y.; Chen, Z.; Tayal, S.; Bekchanov, M.; Sauer, J.; Vrachioli, M.; Al-Azzawi, M.; Drewes, J.E.; Patalong, H.; Uhl, H.D.; Grambow M.: The emerging environmental economics of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus with water reclamation with resource recovery as key: the case of China, India and Germany. In: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Environmental Economics. Oxford University Press, 2021 more…BibTeX
Journal Articles
Gondhalekar, Daphne; Drewes, Jörg E.: Infrastructure Shaming and Consequences for Management of Urban WEF Security Nexus in China and India. Water 13 (3), 2021, 267 more…BibTeX
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Gondhalekar, Daphne; Erlbeck, Ruth: Application of the Nexus Approach as an Integrated Urban Planning Framework: From Theory to Practice and Back Again. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities 3, 2021 more…BibTeX
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Páez-Curtidor, Natalie; Keilmann-Gondhalekar, Daphne; Drewes, Jörg E.: Application of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Approach to the Climate-Resilient Water Safety Plan of Leh Town, India. Sustainability 13 (19), 2021, 10550 more…BibTeX
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Conference Papers / Poster
Gondhalekar, D.: Adopting water reclamation with inte- grated resource recovery as the cornerstone to plan climate change-resilient cities. Webinar on Integrated Water and Wastewater Management. 22. March 2021, online, 2021 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Nexus City: Water reclamation and resource recovery towards zero carbon urban development. Asian Development Bank Water Sector Group, Manila. 16. September 2021, online, 2021 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Planning the Urban Water-Energy-Food (WEF). Nexus Training Session / Innovation Lab, UN-Habitat Innovate4Cities conference. 14. October 2021, online, 2021 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Towards Zero Carbon or even better. Rejuvenation Cities, MIT Alumni Association “Climate Change Matters” Symposium, Stuttgart. 16. October 2021, 2021 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Urban water reclamation and reuse as a key Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus opportunity in Munich, Germany and Leh, India. TREE of LIFE Landscape Webinar Series, University of Tehran, Iran. 24. February 2021, online, 2021 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Urban water reclamation and reuse as key Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus synergy potential. 9th German-Brazilian Dialogue on Science, Research & Innovation on „Cities & Climate “, German House of Research & Innovation (DWIH), São Paulo. 17. May 2021, online, 2021 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.; Saravanan, V.S.; Drewes J.E.: Zero Carbon City Munich, through Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus-based infrastructure development. German Sustainability Science Summit. 9. July 2021, online, 2021 more…BibTeX
Hernandez-Robles, G. & Gondhalekar, D.: Feasibility of energy generation with biogas at the household level: assessing the impact of anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and food waste taking a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach, and implications for Europe and Africa. International Conference on Applied Energy 2021, Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2021, in Bangkok, Thailand (online), 2021 more…BibTeX
Hernández Robles, G. & D. Gondhalekar: Feasibility of energy generation with biogas at the household level: assessing the impact of anaerobic co-digestion of waste activated sludge and food waste taking a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach. International Conference on Applied Energy 2021, 2021Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2021, in Bangkok, Thailand.more…BibTeX
2019
Journal Articles
Lahmouri, Mounia; Drewes, Jörg E.; Gondhalekar, Daphne: Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Centralized and Decentralized Water Reclamation with Resource Recovery Strategies in Leh Town, Ladakh, India, and Potential for Their Reduction in Context of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus. Water 11 (5), 2019, 906 more…BibTeX
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2018
Books / Contributions to Collections
Gondhalekar, D.; Al-Azzawi, M.; Drewes, J.E.: Urban Water Reclamation with Resource Recovery as a Cornerstone of Urban Climate Change Resilience. In: W. Leal Filho (Ed.): Handbook of Climate Change Resilience. Springer International Publishing, 2018 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.; J.E. Drewes and M. Grambow: Risk and water management under climate change: towards the Nexus City. In: Sustainable Risk Management. Springer, 2018 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.; Vogt, C.; Eisenbeiß, K.: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (Ed.): Integrated Urban Development: Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals for Urban Resource Efficiency, Economic Prosperity and Social Inclusion. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, 2018 more…BibTeX
Conference Papers / Poster
Basnet, M.; Drewes, J.E.; Gondhalekar, D.: Urban Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Decentralized water and wastewater management as a solution to conserve water resources in Leh town in Upper Indus River Basin in India. International Conference on "Water, Environment and Climate Change: Knowledge Sharing and Partnership", 2018Jointly organized by Government of Nepal (GoN), Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS), Society of Public Health Engineers, Nepal (SOPHEN) and Nepal Engineers' Association (NEA) under patronage of Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation (MoWSS)more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Operationalizing water reclamation with resource recovery for more effective SDG implementation as a city-to-city cooperation. European Week of Cities and Regions, 2018Pitch given at European Parliament, by invitation of Global Diplomacy Lab / Bosch Foundationmore…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.: Towards the Nexus City: Research Project Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus in Leh, Ladakh, India. German Water Partnership / BMU India session, IFAT trade fair, 2018 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.; Drewes, J.E.: Nexus City: urban water reclamation and reuse as key synergy potential to close resource loops in Munich, Germany and Leh, India. Sust. Devt. of Energy, Water and Env. Systems (SDEWES), 2018 more…BibTeX
2017
Conference Papers / Poster
Drewes, J.E., Gondhalekar, D.: Towards the Nexus City: Closing the Loops. Workshop on Water Challenges and Solutions in India with focus on Urban Water, 2017 more…BibTeX
Drewes, J.E., Gondhalekar, D.: Implementing the Urban Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Drivers, Barriers and Technical Solutions. DWIH Annual Symposium: WaterScapes, 2017 more…BibTeX
Drewes, J.E., Gondhalekar, D.: Urban Water-Energy-Food Nexus Workshop. Workshop TUM-Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2017 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D. and J.E. Drewes: Nexus City: Operationalizing the urban Water-Energy-Food Nexus for climate change adaptation in Munich, Germany. UNU-Flores Nexus Conference, 2017 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.; Drewes, J.: Towards the Nexus City: Closing the Loops. Workshop on Water Challenges and Solutions in India, with focus on Urban Water. Water Future Programme of Future Earth, 2017 more…BibTeX
Gondhalekar, D.; Drewes, J.: Towards the Nexus City: Closing the Water, Energy, and Food Loops in Cities for Synergistic Climate Action. UNESCAP Seventh Regional Workshop on Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: the Urban Nexus, 2017 more…BibTeX
Misc.
Gondhalekar, D. and Ramsauer, T.: Nexus City: operationalizing the urban Water-Energy-Food Nexus for climate change adaptation in Munich, Germany. Urban Climate (19), 2017, 28–40 more…BibTeX
