The Texas A&M University System Water-Energy-Food Nexus initiative (WEF Nexus) was one of a select group of projects presented March 22 at the first-ever White House Water Summit. Dr. Rabi H. Mohtar, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Endowed Professor in the biological and agricultural engineering, and civil and environmental engineering departments at Texas A&M University, leads the WEF Nexus initiative.
Mohtar participated in the White House summit, which coincided with International Water Day and included presentations and demonstration activities.
Our WEF nexus initiative links science to policy, and utilizes holistic approaches and integrative modeling for sustainable water, energy and food resources management, Mohtar said.
The project brings together broad expertise from engineering, agriculture, policy, geosciences, behavioral sciences, law and others to help bridge the anticipated water gap in Texas. It will utilize a set of new analytical tools to aid in municipal water management, according to researchers. The tools will initially be deployed in the San Antonio region, with a goal of adapting and expanding their application throughout Texas and nationally.
The initiative will develop a community of practice to identify and respond to national and global opportunities to assist in developing WEF management practices. The group will develop an educational framework to teach stakeholders about using the nexus approach to achieve the development of new analytical tools for planning and management of water resources in municipal areas and to develop a diverse community of WEF nexus-informed leaders.
The initiative is supported by the Texas A&M Vice Chancellor for Research, the Texas A&M Vice President for Research, 41 Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife, College of Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Geosciences, George Bush School of Government and Public Service, and TEES. Mohtar said more than 250 scientists from across the Texas A&M System have joined those contributing to the initiative’s work.
WEF nexus project leaders include Mohtar; Dr. John Tracy, Texas Water Resources Institute director; Dr. Kevin Wagner, Texas Water Resources associate director; Dr. Christodoulos Floudas, Texas A&M Energy Institute director; Dr. Jack Baldauf, Texas A&M executive associate dean for research; Dr. Elsa Murano, Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture director; Dr. Bruce McCarl, Texas A&M AgriLife Research economist; and Arnold Vedlitz, Bush School of Government and Public Service executive associate dean, director institute for science, technology and public policy.