Systematic literature review of water-energy nexus : an overview of the field and analysis of the top 50 influential papers

Abstract

Water needs energy and energy needs water. In this context, the optimization of the use of each of these variables is a fundamental goal to tackle climate change and achieve sustainable development. The water-energy nexus has gained relevance in the literature through the study of their dependencies, with the objective of increasing their synergies and reducing their trade-offs. Moreover, the nexus approach has proven to be a useful methodology to evaluate the impact of a variable (or group of variables) in a specific system or network, as for example, the intricate network of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The main purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of the water-energy nexus through a comprehensive literature review, based on the influence of the publications (citation-based approach). The methodology allows the identification of the top 50 most influential papers related to the water-energy nexus, based on the number of citations that it has, since its publication in a scientific journal. Additionally, it has been analyzed the main journals in this topic, the context and characteristics of the publications (geographical locations and study design), most cited authors, the timeline and evolution of the literature. Finally, the study seeks to improve the comprehension of the relevance of the dependencies and interactions between these variables, added to their fundamental roles in the whole system.