Integrating LCA and network model to understand food-energy-water nexus in the Ningxia, China

¹ School of Geology and environment, Xi’an university of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710054, China
² General Station of Soil and Water Conservation Monitoring of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750002, China

^* Corresponding author: dangxh2018@xust.edu.cn

Abstract

It is necessary to link and feedback the FEW-Nexus in order to find a sustainable method of food, energy, and water (FEW) supply. We better understand nexus by integrating LCA and network models based on previous work in this paper. The results show that (1) 1.16 billion kg of grain were traded in Ningxia in 2020. The grain export area is primarily in Ningxia’s central and southern regions, and grain trade relieves the pressure on grain demand in the north. (2) Grain trade has resulted in the movement and reconfiguration of water footprints and carbon footprints, alleviating some of the pressure on local water resources. However, some counties have low agricultural resource utilization efficiency. For example, Xiji failed to use water effectively in water-rich areas to meet the needs of water-scarce areas. (3) The spatial association network of the FEW-Nexus is unbalanced, and the associated channels should be enriched. Ningxia can improve the utilization of energy and water resources by strengthening key nodes of food flow.