Artificial intelligence for water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus management under climate change: insights and implications

Climate change is intensifying water supply challenges, leading to extreme events that disrupt the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus. Addressing these interconnected issues requires sustainable pathways and innovative solutions, which require multidimensional data collection. Given the complexity of climate-induced challenges, such as droughts and floods, a comprehensive approach is essential to ensure sustainable water management solutions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents a powerful tool for analyzing vast datasets and understanding the complex interrelationships among these sectors. Despite the recent advances in the field of AI applied to water resources management, the methods focused on the WEFE nexus have been poorly understood. Thus, this research systematically reviews AI methodologies applicable to water resources management by structuring research questions, defining search terms, and applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure relevant document selection. A multi-step screening process, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, was applied to publications from 2012 to 2021. This process resulted in the selection of 83 original papers, which were categorized into four distinct topics: water (37 papers), energy (24 papers), food (5 papers), and ecosystems (17 papers)  seeking to answer the following research question: how can AI enhance decision-making processes for water security in different sectors? Preliminary results indicate that effective AI integration can significantly reduce economic losses in critical sectors, boost productivity, and foster sustainable societal development. For example, AI-driven models can improve water demand forecasting, optimizing energy usage in irrigation, and supporting the design of resilient food production systems. Climate challenges, like extreme weather unpredictability and data scarcity, complicate water management. However, AI offers opportunities by analyzing complex datasets to predict scenarios and enhance decision-making. Furthermore, these technologies provide valuable insights for ecosystem preservation by monitoring biodiversity and assessing environmental impacts, enabling more sustainable and proactive strategies. The findings underscore the potential of AI to bridge gaps in data availability for maintaining the activities in each sector of the nexus and enhance real-time decision-making. They also highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and capacity building to maximize AI's benefits. These insights offer a pathway to enhanced resilience, adaptive capacity, and long-term sustainability in WEFE management under changing climate conditions, which is in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals 6 (water), 7 (energy) and 13 (climate action). 

Keywords: WEFE nexus (Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem); Artificial Intelligence (AI); Water security; Climate change adaptation; Sustainable development.