Editor’s choice
Editor’s choice
Ensuring sustainable management of water, energy, and food (WEF) resources requires governance frameworks capable of addressing cross-sectoral interdependencies and policy fragmentation. This study evaluates the performance and coherence of national water, energy, and agricultural policies in Mali, South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania, with a focus on their contribution to WEF nexus integration and energy transition pathways.
While policies show strong alignment on paper – particularly in water management – gaps in implementation, coordination, and institutional capacity limit real-world impact.
Policy coherence varies across sectors. Economic incentives are relatively well integrated, but key areas such as sustainable agriculture and energy market instruments (e.g. feed-in tariffs and power purchase agreements) remain inconsistent and fragmented. These gaps create regulatory uncertainty and hinder investment and effective resource management.
Overall, the findings highlight a disconnect between policy design and implementation. Strengthening institutional capacity, improving cross-sector coordination, and enhancing regulatory frameworks are critical to advancing energy transitions and integrated resource governance.
Project / The project supports African governments in the definition of effective energy policy choices and provides them with the necessary scientific knowledge
Past event / SEI and CCAC are hosting an in-person hands-on training workshop 22–26 June in Pretoria on SEI's LEAP software for climate and clean air planning in Africa.
Project / SEI researchers build water models and work with stakeholders throughout Africa to explore management strategies for an uncertain climate future.
Journal article / This study finds that the most resilient energy plan for the Eastern African Power Pool is one that assumes a slightly wetter climate than historical trends.
