Integrated assessment of climate change and urbanisation impacts on the water-energy-food nexus in Global South and transboundary river basins
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
OP-Pohjola auditorium (L6), Linnanmaa Campus
Topic of the dissertation
Integrated assessment of climate change and urbanisation impacts on the water-energy-food nexus in Global South and transboundary river basins
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science (Environmental Engineering) Taiwo Bamgboye
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Technology, Water, Energy, and Environmental Engineering (WE3)
Subject of study
Process and environmental engineering
Opponent
Professor Venkataraman Lakshmi , Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering
Custos
Professor Ali Torabi Haghighi, University of Oulu
Integrated assessment of climate change and urbanisation impacts on the water-energy-food nexus in Global South and transboundary river basins
This thesis investigates the integrated impacts of climate change and
urbanisation on the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in the Global South and transboundary river basins through systematic reviews, system dynamics modelling, and socio-hydrological frameworks. It identifies climate change as the primary driver affecting resource supply through biophysical pathways, while urbanisation influences resource demand via socioeconomic factors, jointly exacerbating resource insecurity. Focusing on Central Asia's Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins, the research highlights predominant WEF nexus challenges related to multinational governance, irrigation, and hydropower.
The reviewed literature is predominantly on multinational scale and employs quantitative methods. Scenario analyses revealed that sustainable climate pathways support resilience and growth in water availability, agricultural productivity, and social welfare, whereas high-emission scenarios induce severe water scarcity, agricultural decline, population decreases, and social instability. The construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal, combined with climate-induced river flow reductions, disproportionately impacts downstream irrigation-dependent regions, by leading to significant reductions in irrigated land per farmer, increased livelihood stress, and potential large-scale migration. The study further highlights governance weaknesses and hydro-hegemony as critical factors intensifying inequitable resource distribution. It advocates for integrated, multi-scale governance approaches, mixed-method research designs, improved data transparency, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals to effectively operationalise the WEF nexus. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers aiming to foster resilient, equitable, and sustainable resource management in vulnerable regions of the Global South and in transboundary basins.
urbanisation on the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in the Global South and transboundary river basins through systematic reviews, system dynamics modelling, and socio-hydrological frameworks. It identifies climate change as the primary driver affecting resource supply through biophysical pathways, while urbanisation influences resource demand via socioeconomic factors, jointly exacerbating resource insecurity. Focusing on Central Asia's Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins, the research highlights predominant WEF nexus challenges related to multinational governance, irrigation, and hydropower.
The reviewed literature is predominantly on multinational scale and employs quantitative methods. Scenario analyses revealed that sustainable climate pathways support resilience and growth in water availability, agricultural productivity, and social welfare, whereas high-emission scenarios induce severe water scarcity, agricultural decline, population decreases, and social instability. The construction of the Qosh Tepa Canal, combined with climate-induced river flow reductions, disproportionately impacts downstream irrigation-dependent regions, by leading to significant reductions in irrigated land per farmer, increased livelihood stress, and potential large-scale migration. The study further highlights governance weaknesses and hydro-hegemony as critical factors intensifying inequitable resource distribution. It advocates for integrated, multi-scale governance approaches, mixed-method research designs, improved data transparency, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals to effectively operationalise the WEF nexus. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers aiming to foster resilient, equitable, and sustainable resource management in vulnerable regions of the Global South and in transboundary basins.
Created 3.11.2026 | Updated 4.11.2026