Home » IB DP Geography » Core: Global change [Paper 2] » Unit 3: Global resource consumption and security » 3.2 Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption » 3.2.1 Nexus Thinking

3.2.1 Nexus Thinking

Content

  • Geographic inquiry and concept(s)
    • How pressure on resources affects the future security of places
  • Geographic knowledge and understanding
    • The water-food-energy 'nexus' and how its complex interactions affect: national water security, including access to safe water
    • The water-food-energy 'nexus' and how its complex interactions affect: national food security, including food availability
    • The water-food-energy 'nexus' and how its complex interactions affect: national energy security, including energy pathways and geopolitical issues
    • The implications of global climate change for the water-food-energy nexus
  • Case study or detailed examples
    • Neither required by the syllabus
  • Aims of this lesson
    • To be able to summarize the water-food-energy nexus approach
    • To be able to describe and explain water security, food security and energy security

Base knowledge and understanding

News article

Farmers criticise government plan to counter threats to UK food security

Plan warns climate crisis will lead to food price shocks and shortages but farmers say it fails to adequately fund response

The Guardian · 24 June 2026

Key terms

  • Nexus
    • The interrelationship, interdependence and interactions between water, food and energy.
Log in or subscribe to continueUnlock the full lesson — the teaching content, lesson resources, and the complete Notion version.
Log inSubscribe
Review

Review

  1. Suggest one reason why access to safe water remains a challenge in some low-income countries. [2]
  2. Explain two ways in which increasing demand for energy can reduce a country's water security. [4]
  3. “Conflicting demands for water, energy and food are the greatest challenge to maintaining a functional water-food-energy nexus.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  4. The growth of megacities does more to threaten food security than to threaten water security. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  5. The rapid growth of megacities is the main cause of national resource insecurity. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  6. Energy security is the most significant pressure within the water-food-energy nexus. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  7. The benefits of the demographic dividend can only be realised where water, food and energy security have been achieved. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  8. Ageing populations represent a greater challenge to long-term resource security than rapidly growing populations. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  9. Resource insecurity has become the main driver of forced migration in the twenty-first century. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
  10. Rapid urbanisation puts more pressure on resource security than any other demographic change. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [10]
« Previous pageNext page »
Cookie settings