Cross-sectoral integration in the Sustainable Development Goals: a nexus approach

The document proposes a 'nexus approach' to move away from sectoral 'silos' in the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By focusing on the interdependencies between water, energy, and food, the authors suggest that a bottom-up process starting with concrete targets—rather than overarching goals—can better identify trade-offs and synergies. The brief illustrates this through three analytical approaches: screening for interactions, exploring the nature of those interactions (interdependencies, constraints, and reinforcements), and mapping 'nexus targets' that serve multiple sectors. Case studies from Ethiopia, China (Ningxia), and the United States (California) demonstrate how these cross-sectoral tensions manifest in real-world resource management.

• Traditional 'silo' approaches to water, energy, and agriculture often result in unsustainable policy choices, such as the use of energy-intensive desalination plants to solve water scarcity or the development of water- and land-intensive biofuels like maize-based ethanol.
• A bottom-up approach to the SDGs, such as the 'Integrating Approach' proposed by Colombia, suggests starting with concrete targets rather than overarching goals to better reveal interdependencies and avoid redundant or conflicting targets.
• Interactions between SDG targets generally fall into three categories: interdependencies (where one target is required for another to be viable), conditions or constraints (which ensure long-term sustainability), and reinforcements (synergies where one target helps achieve another).
• In Ethiopia, the Growth and Transformation Plan's goals for rapid increases in crop productivity (30%) and power generation (300%) create nexus tensions, as large-scale biofuel and hydropower development may compete for land and water, potentially compromising downstream aquatic ecosystems and food security.
• In Ningxia, China, there is a conflict between targets to increase energy production (wind power by 45% and solar by 61%) and strict 'red lines' on water withdrawals, as the region is highly water-stressed and relies on the already fully committed Yellow River.
• Analysis of water security in California shows that using seawater desalination to meet 5% of Southern California's urban water demand could reduce water imports by 300 million m3 per year but would increase the water sector's electricity use by approximately 3 TWh per year, increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

Weitz, N., Huber-Lee, A., Nilsson, M., Davis, M., & Hoff, H. (2014). Cross-sectoral integration in the Sustainable Development Goals: a nexus approach. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Nexus-SDGs-integration.pdf

Chicago

Weitz, Nina, Annette Huber-Lee, Måns Nilsson, Marion Davis, and Holger Hoff. Cross-sectoral integration in the Sustainable Development Goals: a nexus approach. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Nexus-SDGs-integration.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Weitz |first1=Nina |last2=Huber-Lee |first2=Annette |last3=Nilsson |first3=Måns |last4=Davis |first4=Marion |last5=Hoff |first5=Holger |title=Cross-sectoral integration in the Sustainable Development Goals: a nexus approach |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Nexus-SDGs-integration.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{weitz2014crosssectoral, author = {Weitz, Nina and Huber-Lee, Annette and Nilsson, Måns and Davis, Marion and Hoff, Holger}, title = {{Cross-sectoral integration in the Sustainable Development Goals: a nexus approach}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Air-land-water-resources/SEI-DB-2014-Nexus-SDGs-integration.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }