76 Therefore, this section will discuss the major shortcomings of methods applied in existing studies, especially in their future objectives and assessment of long term impacts The major limitations o[.]
76 Therefore, this section will discuss the major shortcomings of methods applied in existing studies, especially in their future objectives and assessment of long-term impacts The major limitations of tools and methods employed in existing studies can be broadly described in the following terms: i) quantifying the linkages among the energy, food and water sectors; ii) qualitative assessment for socio-economic impacts; and iii) providing a basic for policy analysis, informed by the implications of alternative policy pathways Quantifying linkages among energy, food and water: typical tools and methods deployed in existing studies to quantify linkages between energy, food and water are the life-cycle assessment (LCA), optimisation, quantitative models and linear regression LCA is deployed, in reviewed studies, to identify the connections between energy and agriculture to better use energy in agricultural production For example, FAO (2000), Harto et al (2010), Siddiqi and Anadon (2011), and Li et al (2012) deploy LCA to quantify the connections between water and energy This ultimately aims to decrease carbon in transport fuels, integrate the water sector into energy infrastructure policy in the MENA region, and balancing between CO2 emissions and water consumption as wind energy becomes more widely used in China Hoff (2011) applies LCA to address the energy–food–water connection as a solution to develop a green economy under various long-term scenarios and from a global perspective Qin et al (2015) investigates water usage in energy generation to identify potential conflicts among sectoral polices In recent studies, LCA is deployed to investigate the connections among the energy, food, and water sectors on a broader scale and using a more holistic approach For example, FAO (2014) uses an LCA to investigate the connections among energy, food, and water to ensure food security and develop sustainable agriculture with a global perspective Bijl et al (2018) deploy the LCA to determine energy–food links and their impacts on social factors, such as income or employment, in Uttar Pradesh, India One major shortcoming of the application of LCA in these studies is that its primary focus is on maximising the benefits of one specific sector, whether water, energy, or food, rather than observing a broader perspective to ensure security among all sectors The LCA excels in a specific application, such as physically quantifying energy, water, or food resources However, its application is limited to static situations with steady-state values in the growth model that focus on a short period of time and use historical data that require detailed technical information about water- or energy-related attributes, instead of attempting to examine