The project will identify critical factors and define critical pathways of FWE delivery to urban centers using advanced tools such as artificial Intelligence, data mining, system dynamics modeling, agro-logistics and scenario analysis to understand the intertwined nature of FWE in terms of lifecycles, including production, processing, delivery, consumption, and disposal. The underlying rationale is that FWE Nexus forms the basis of the urban metabolic system that sustains the development of urban centers. The primary outcome will be the development of the intelligent urban metabolic systems appropriate for cities and the unique challenges for green urban centers of tomorrow.

Results and outcomes

Publications

Taiwan team

• Exploring synergistic benefits of Water-Food-Energy Nexus through multi-objective reservoir optimization schemes. Science of The Total Environment. 633, 341-351.
• An advanced complementary scheme of floating photovoltaic and hydropower generation flourishing water-food-energy nexus synergies. Applied Energy, 275.
• Prospect for small-hydropower installation settled upon optimal water allocation: An action to stimulate synergies of water-food-energy nexus. Applied Energi, 238, 668-682
• Empirical Framework for a Relative Sustainability Evaluation of Urbanization on the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Using Simultaneous Equation Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health 16.6 : 901.

US team

• Multi-objective optimization for sustainable renewable jet fuel production: A case study of corn stover based supply chain system in Midwestern U.S. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 115, 109403.
• The Development of the INFEWS-ER: A Virtual Resource Center for Transdisciplinary Graduate Student Training at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 7. 

Japan team

• Unsustainable groundwater use for global food production and related international trade. Global Sustainability, 2.
• An Analysis of the Water-Energy-Food-Land Requirements and CO2 Emissions for Food Security of Rice in Japan. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3354.

Brazil team

• Evaluation of the Economic and Environmental Impacts from the Addition of New Railways to the Brazilian’s Transportation Network: An Application of Network Equilibrium Model. Transport Policy, 124, 61-69.
• Evaluation of green transport corridords of Brazilian soybean exports to China. Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management, 16(3), 398-412.

Read the results interview!