A review of the water-energy-food nexus in Central Asia’s transboundary basins: trends, gaps and applications assessments

Transboundary water management challenges complicate resource governance in Central Asia (CA). Addressing these issues requires integrated approaches to manage shared water, energy and food resources. The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus framework explores the links between these resources but remains an emerging process in CA, where poor water management has caused the desiccation of the region. This review of 58 WEF nexus publications shows that research focuses mainly on water and multinational scales, with limited attention to smaller scales. Stakeholders are often excluded, and methods remain quantitative despite scarce data. Thus, highlighting the need for balanced methodological approaches, integration of smaller-scale analyses and enhanced stakeholder participation.