Change Adaptation Socioecol. Syst. 2015; 2: 118–120 tools are required which enable decision makers to explore trade-offs and synergies in the WEF nexus and contribute to wise allocation and use of resources. Summary of key problems Korea’s national water supply mainly relies on surface water drawn from rivers and dams and is therefore very susceptible to climate change induced alterations in river flow. Additional aspects, such as the low annual precipitation per capita, the concentration of rainfall on a few months of the year, and the high competition for water across sectors add to Korea’s water stress. An assessment of the vulnerability of local water supply systems based on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to climate change revealed that especially rural areas are highly vulnerable to changes in climatic conditions (while metropolitan areas tend to be more resilient). (J. Ahn, presented at the international conference “Sustainability in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus”, Bonn, Germany, 19-20 May 2014). Several countries in Southern Africa are highly exposed to climate variability in the water, food, and energy sectors. Impacts of climate change on agricultural production are severe for many nations of this region as the agricultural sector is often closely linked to overall economic activity, sometimes constituting a large share of national GDPs. The mostly rain fed agricultural production is very vulnerable to climate change induced variations in rainfall. Turning to the energy sectors, several countries largely rely on hydropower for energy production (up to 100%); therefore national energy security often depends on river flows. With both rainfall and river flows showing a high variability in Southern Africa, many countries of this region are likely to face serious problems in terms of water, food and energy security in future. (D. Conway, presented at the international conference “Sustainability in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus”, Bonn, Germany, 19-20 May 2014). Climate-driven alterations of ecosystems and the services they provide do not only affect societies, but DOI 10.1515/cass-2015-0022 received July 23, 2014; accepted August 18, 2014 Abstract: This report explores the exposure and vulnerability of Korea and the Southern African region to climate-driven impacts in the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus. It presents the building of ecological networks as a mean to address climate change - induced alterations of ecosystems and the consequences for humans and nature. Reducing the asymmetry between price and value of water resources is identified as an essential aspect to enable sound resource management use decisions. The report highlights the need for comprehensive tools which assist decision makers in dealing with the complexity of WEF nexus interrelations and facilitate sustainable resource management. Keywords: Water-Energy-Food Nexus, Climate Change Adaptation, Water Security Introduction Climate change impacts natural and human systems on the entire globe [1]. Negative consequences of increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, such as water scarcity and reductions in crop yields affect all dimensions of the WEF nexus. Climate-related extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts and floods alter ecosystems and their services on which societies depend. Some of the world’s regions are particularly exposed and vulnerable to climate variability and require adaptation measures to ensure water, food and energy security in the future. Climate change adds uncertainty to the complex interrelations in the WEF nexus and increases the need for sustainable resource use. Comprehensive Review article Open Access © 2015 Talin Holtermann, K.D.W. Nandalal licensee De Gruyter Open. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License. Talin Holtermann*, K.D.W. Nandalal The Water - Energy - Food Nexus and Climate Change Adaptation *Corresponding author: Talin Holtermann, Research Assistant, Global Water System Project International Project Office, Germany, E-mail: talinholtermann@gmail.com K.D.W. Nandalal, Professor in Civil Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Unauthenticated Download Date | 2/26/20 5:02 AM