A Web-Based Modelling Framework for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus with Integrated Policy Analysis

Achieving sustainable and resilient water management requires a systems perspective that recognises the strong interconnections between water, energy, food, and the environment. The Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus framework helps assess trade-offs among these sectors and ways to improve resource use, efficiency, and equity. However, the existing WEF nexus models typically analyse individual components and estimate the required demand of the main element without considering the interconnected aspects among the resources. Besides, there is a lack of open-source analytical tools for multi-scale WEF nexus studies. In this study, we have developed a Web-based WEF Nexus Model (WbWEFNM) integrating the Modified Pardee-RAND WEF Security Index with a dedicated policy analysis module. The model is coded in Java and features an integrated Graphical User Interface (GUI) and database structure, enabling users to construct new regional datasets, compute water, energy, and food subindices, and evaluate an overall WEF nexus index. Outputs are presented in both tabular and spatial formats, facilitating comparative analyses and visual interpretation of resource security patterns. The developed model will help understand the nexus among water, energy, and food by calculating their respective subindices and the WEF nexus index. The model also includes a policy analysis module to help develop or test policies for better resource security. We applied the developed model to the Kangsabati River basin in eastern India, using 2011 data (the most recent official census in India). The computed subindices for water (0.87), energy (0.74), and food (0.78) produced a WEF nexus index of 0.80, indicating moderate resource security. Therefore, various WEF-related policies must be implemented in the basin to achieve comprehensive resource security. The policy analysis module suggested that policies such as the adoption of rooftop water harvesting structures and solar systems, interventions to enhance crop production, and expansion of poultry farms could significantly enhance the WEF security in the basin. The WbWEFNM provides a transparent framework to evaluate resource interactions, trade-offs, and policy impacts.   By linking quantitative assessment with scenario-based policy testing, the tool aids evidence-driven planning for sustainable development. The framework directly supports Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and contributes to balancing the WEF-environment nexus for resilient water systems under global change.