Towards transboundary Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus governance: a comparative governance assessment of the Lielupe and Mesta-Nestos river basins

In recent years, the conceptualization and application of the WEF and later WEFE nexus in science, policy and practice has progressed significantly. Despite the transboundary nature of sustainability and WEFE nexus issues, research on WEFE nexus governance in a transboundary context is less developed. WEFE nexus governance refers to societal decision-making to address challenges related to goals, actors and actor networks, scales, institutions and resources. In this paper, we explore the governance challenges encountered when implementing WEFE nexus governance in a transboundary setting. To identify these challenges in practice, we conducted a WEFE nexus governance and policy coherence assessment in two transboundary case studies: the Lielupe river basin and Mesta-Nestos river basin. Our analysis shows that in both cases the governance arrangements are restrictive towards WEFE nexus governance. Based on the factors contributing to the degree of restrictiveness, we identify four key conditions to overcome the transboundary governance challenges: (1) awareness of WEFE nexus interlinkages at all governmental levels; (2) local cross-border and sectoral communication and trust; (3) addressing issues at the appropriate level; and (4) adequate resources and natural resource monitoring across sectors. These conditions lead to recommendations to proceed towards more integrated approaches to transboundary WEFE nexus governance.