Work

Enhancing the Resilience of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus via Zone-Based Regulation in a Mountainous Urban Metropolitan Area

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Rapid urbanization in plateau mountain regions exacerbates the tension between rigid resource demands and fragile ecological carrying capacities. Enhancing the resilience of the Water–Energy–Food (W–E–F) nexus is therefore essential for coping with external shocks. This study constructs a multidimensional resilience evaluation framework based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model, taking the Kunming Metropolitan Area—a typical plateau mountain region—as a case study. Integrating the TOPSIS model, Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) model, and spatial autocorrelation analysis, we systematically assessed both individual subsystem and comprehensive W–E–F nexus resilience from 2005 to 2020. Results show that W–E–F nexus resilience generally improved from 2005 to 2020, but subsystem development remained uneven across space, with water resilience characterized by a peripheral-high/central-low pattern, energy resilience by a core-high/periphery-low structure, and food resilience by the strongest spatial heterogeneity and volatility. By 2020, the mean comprehensive resilience reached 0.67, with 58.3% of counties above the average, exhibiting significant spatial clustering. Based on resilience levels and limiting subsystems of 2020, the metropolitan area was classified into Enhancement, Adjustment, and Maintenance zones, comprising 6, 16, and 2 counties respectively, to support differentiated regional governance. This study provides a spatially explicit regulation paradigm to bolster urban resilience against resource constraints and climate uncertainty.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18094396

Authors: Wei Tang, Dan Xu, Mingxiang Wang, Wenjing Xu, Yifei Xu

Institutions: Yunnan University, Hohai University, Wuhan University

Language: English

Topic: Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Clean water and sanitation, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896