Building a WEF Nexus Community of Practice (NCoP)

Abstract

Purpose of Review: The purposes of this paper are to examine the literature for common threads and attributes inherent to scientific-based communities of practice, and to identify challenges and potential solutions for building a community of scientists to address the water-energy-food nexus. Recent Findings: The latest research suggests several guiding principles to build and maintain a successful scientific community of practice. These include the following: identifying a shared conceptual vision that is clear in purpose, but also provides for evolution and growth; providing for both internal and external perspectives as well as various levels of participation among members; and facilitating collaboration that satisfies personal and professional motivations. Summary: There are several challenges in building and maintaining a sustainable water-energy-food nexus community of practice. Perhaps, the most difficult to overcome is the lack of a clear definition, meaning, and identity of the “water-energy-food nexus.” While international collaboration among researchers will provide critical perspective and insight for addressing similar challenges on a more localized basis, the variation in regional jurisdiction and political realities could restrict international collaborative research and implementation of potential solutions. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.