A Multi-Criteria Policy Coherence Index for Water-Energy-Food Nexus Governance and Energy Transition Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa

This research paper evaluates the coherence of national water, energy, and agricultural policies in four Sub-Saharan African countries to determine their impact on Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus integration and energy transition pathways.

• The study identifies a discrepancy between the theoretical alignment of policies and their practical application, noting that while policies appear aligned on paper—especially regarding water management—their actual impact is constrained by deficiencies in institutional capacity, coordination, and implementation.
• Policy coherence is inconsistent across different sectors; while economic incentives are reasonably integrated, there is significant fragmentation in energy market instruments, such as power purchase agreements and feed-in tariffs, as well as in sustainable agriculture, which leads to regulatory uncertainty and obstructs investment.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2026). A Multi-Criteria Policy Coherence Index for Water-Energy-Food Nexus Governance and Energy Transition Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://www.sei.org/publications/a-multi-criteria-policy-coherence-index-for-water-energy-food-nexus-governance-and-energy-transition-pathways-in-sub-saharan-africa/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. A Multi-Criteria Policy Coherence Index for Water-Energy-Food Nexus Governance and Energy Transition Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa. 2026. https://www.sei.org/publications/a-multi-criteria-policy-coherence-index-for-water-energy-food-nexus-governance-and-energy-transition-pathways-in-sub-saharan-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=A Multi-Criteria Policy Coherence Index for Water-Energy-Food Nexus Governance and Energy Transition Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa |date=3 July 2026 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/a-multi-criteria-policy-coherence-index-for-water-energy-food-nexus-governance-and-energy-transition-pathways-in-sub-saharan-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2026multicriteria, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{A Multi-Criteria Policy Coherence Index for Water-Energy-Food Nexus Governance and Energy Transition Pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jul, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/a-multi-criteria-policy-coherence-index-for-water-energy-food-nexus-governance-and-energy-transition-pathways-in-sub-saharan-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }