Center for American Progress

The Food–Energy–Water Nexus: An Integrated Approach to Understanding China’s Resource Challenges
Article

The Food–Energy–Water Nexus: An Integrated Approach to Understanding China’s Resource Challenges

Julian Wong argues for more integrated approaches to resource management in China in this Harvard Asia Quarterly article

China’s rapidly growing economy is very quickly testing the limits of its resource constraints. While China is home to a quarter of the world’s population, it is endowed with disproportionately less arable land, oil, and water. Such natural resources are vital to any nation’s ability to be self-sufficient, but China’s predicament is especially dire not only because of its large population, but also its rapid urbanization and climate change, both of which will exert more intensive demands on food, energy, and water supply. Yet, other than recognizing that water is essential for agriculture, the discussion of each resource constraint is often conducted in isolation, without paying heed to the inter-linkages of food, energy and water systems.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.