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• This study constructed an urban nexus accounting framework based on Multi-Scale Input Output model. • Shanghai is a net consumer city mainly imports embodied energy and water from domestic and developing regions. • Energy water nexus characteristics of industrial sectors can offer different ways to tackle environmental challenges. Large scale urbanization and industrial development has resulted in serious environmental challenges for China. Both energy and water are considered key to urban sustainability and for that matter resource accounting and tracing are drawing growing attention in the economy. This paper focuses on energy-water nexus of urban sectors in Shanghai (referred to year 2010) using multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis. This study outcome revealed that overall Shanghai is a net consumer city mainly imports embodied energy and water from domestic and developing regions of the world and exports little to developed regions. In depth analysis indicated that, except S17, S7, S10, S15 and S8 all other industrial sectors were net inflows of energy in Shanghai. Similarly, except S15, all other industrial sectors were net water consumers in Shanghai. The S16 (18.96 Mtce), S20 (11.06 Mtce) and S12 (7.71 Mtce) were ranked highest as net importer making up about 60.48% of total net inflows of embodied energy, whereas S1 (18053.48 Mt), S3 (6865.16 Mt) and S19 (2320.62 Mt) were ranked highest as net importer making up about 74.99% of total net inflows of embodied water. The developed nexus strength indicator uncovered the sectoral energy-water linkages. From a production perspective, the S15 exhibited high nexus strength level up to 1 with 50% contribution by each resource to the nexus. While from a consumption perspective, the S1 revealed high nexus strength level and water was the most frequent resource node contributing about 84% to the energy-water nexus. The energy-water nexus characteristics of industrial sectors can offer different ways to tackle environmental challenges. This study can provide a reference to policy makers in identifying key sectors that requires more focus in terms of easing environmental stress to achieve sustainability in urban development. In addition, called for coordination and regulating urban industrial trade structure in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urban expansion and economic development has led to severe demands of energy and water resources, which poses serious challenges to sustainability and environment. Previous studies have taken more consideration of one resource flow ignoring the interconnectedness between energy and water. In this paper, an urban energy-water nexus framework is constructed considering both domestic and international trade, based on the environmentally extended multi-scale input-output (EE-MSIO) model. This method allows us to trace energy and water flows in a multi-scale economic system from production and consumption perspectives. In basis of that, the nexus strengthen indicator is constructed to evaluate the energy-water nexus of the trading regions with Shanghai city in the domestic and international trade to present the integrated environmental pressure externalized in Shanghai's rapid economic development. Findings indicate that Shanghai is a net importer of energy and water flow. This result is compatible with the fact that Shanghai is a consumer city. Additionally, the seven domestic regions in China are net exporters toward Shanghai, supporting around 55.10% of energy and 70.56% of water import flows driven by city's final demand. Shanghai largely imports flows of energy and water from Mainland China and developing regions across the globe, whereas export little to developed nations. Nexus results indicate that from consumption perspective, Hebei and Shandong are of the highest nexus strength embodied in domestic trade with Shanghai, with nearly equal contribution for both energy and water. While USA is the largest energy-water nexus node embodied in international trade with Shanghai, around 60% energy and 40% water contributed to the nexus. During these tradeoffs, Shanghai is the major beneficiary, being able to externalize environmental pressures by consumption of domestic and international exported goods and services. The study outcomes suggest that a higher coordination, together with a rearrangement of the regional trade structure, should be the key leverages for an effective management of resources and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing economic and population growth has put immense pressure on energy, water and land resources to satisfy national and supra-national demand. Through trade, a large proportion of such a demand is fulfilled. With trade as one of its key priorities, the China Belt and Road Initiative is a long-term transcontinental investment program. The initiative gained significant attention due to greater opportunities for economic development, large population and different levels of resource availability. The nexus approach has appeared as a new viewpoint in discussions on balancing the competing sectoral demands. However, following years of work, constraints exist in the scope and focus of studies. The newly developed multi-regional input–output (MRIO) models covering the world's economy and its use of resources permit a comprehensive analysis of resource usage by production and consumption at different levels, and bring more knowledge about resource nexus problems. Using the MRIO model, this work simultaneously tracks energy, water and land use flows and investigates the transnational resource nexus. A nexus strength indicator is proposed which depends on ternary diagrams to grade countries based on their combined resources' use and sectoral weighting. Equal sectoral weighting is assigned. The analysis presented a sectorally balanced nexus approach. Findings support existing work by recognizing energy, water and land as the robust transnational connections, from both production and consumption points of view. Resource nexus issues differ from country to country owing to inequalities in industrial set-up, preferences in economic policy and resource endowments. The paper outlines how key resource nexus problems can be identified and prioritized in view of alternative and often opposing interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing pressure from population growth and climate change has placed various challenges to urban systems concerning the sustainable supply and use of food, energy and water. To achieve the synergistic and sustainable management of food, energy and water demand, the inter-linkages between the three subsystems should be explored. Taking Beijing as the case study reproducible in a like manner for other urban systems, this research aims to develop a household Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus dynamic model to explore the influence of various factors on the end-uses. Three main innovation points are included in this research. Firstly, long-term simulations from 2010 to 2050 can be provided in this model to quantitatively estimate climate change potential under possible management strategies. Secondly, three different levels of influencing factors of household resource consumption are included in this model at the same time, including individual level (behaviors), household level (appliances) and government level (resource prices). Thirdly, multiple scenarios combinations are analyzed in this research. The results demonstrate the complex interconnections among the household food-energy-water uses. What' more, short-term effects, lag effects as well as lock-in effects can influence the policy effectiveness, so that policy combinations or complements are needed to enhance the effects. • Household units are essential to realize the really effective regulation of FEW. • FEW nexus dynamic model is developed to explore influence of behavior & technologies on end-uses. • This model can choose best policies towards both satisfying population needs and minimizing EI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]