Water-Energy Nexus: Business Risks and Rewards

The report examines the 'water-energy nexus,' noting that water scarcity threatens energy production while increasing water demand necessitates energy-intensive solutions like desalination. It advocates for business strategies focused on demand reduction, water reuse, energy recovery, and the adoption of clean energy resources and inclusive stakeholder engagement.

• Water scarcity creates a reciprocal challenge for energy systems: traditional energy production (coal, oil, gas, and electricity) requires significant freshwater, while meeting water demands often requires energy-intensive processes such as seawater desalination.
• Companies operating at the water-energy nexus can mitigate risks and find opportunities by focusing on demand-side solutions, including water reuse, energy recovery, shifting to clean energy, and implementing innovative business models.
• Scaling alternative approaches to the water-energy nexus involves integrating gender mainstreaming, local stakeholder engagement, cross-sector efficiency goals, and forward-thinking financial valuations for carbon and water.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Water-Energy Nexus: Business Risks and Rewards. https://www.wri.org/research/water-energy-nexus-business-risks-and-rewards

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Water-Energy Nexus: Business Risks and Rewards. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/water-energy-nexus-business-risks-and-rewards.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Water-Energy Nexus: Business Risks and Rewards |url=https://www.wri.org/research/water-energy-nexus-business-risks-and-rewards |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendwaterenergy, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Water-Energy Nexus: Business Risks and Rewards}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/water-energy-nexus-business-risks-and-rewards}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }