Heterogeneous interactions in the water-land-food nexus in shaping resource efficiency: A supernetwork simulation

How resource nexus depicts resources' overall performance across sectors has overwhelming proof. However, how the interactions amongst heterogeneous resource flows shape the functionality of economic systems, including their effects on resource allocation, production efficiency, input-output relationships, and environ-mental sustainability, is not well understood. The present study integrates water, land, and food (WLF) input-output networks into a supernetwork framework to characterize the resource flows and reveal the in-teractions amongst heterogeneous resource systems under the water-land-food nexus. A set of indicators describing the WLF supernetwork (WLFSN) is proposed to identify the system features in node and superedge. These indicators can clarify resource efficiency and develop resource management strategies at the sectoral, industrial chain, and national levels. Results show that heavy industry is dominant in shaping the resource ef-ficiency of the economic system under the WLF nexus as it exhibits the highest integrated zero-score based on all metrics. However, this industry suffers from resource misallocation, which negatively affects the economy's resource efficiency. The weak role of the construction industry in resource flow and its broad impact on the entire economy may worsen inefficient resource utilization throughout the entire supply chain. A topology investiga-tion indicates that more than 50 % of nodes and 60 % of superedges underperform in their corresponding metrics, as well as a lack of effective synergy between resources and sectors in the WLFSN. In addition, a 'barrel effect' exists in improving sectoral WLF efficiency, where a sector's potential to achieve efficient production is determined by its efficiency shortness. This work facilitates the design of a more resource-saving economy by matching WLF flows with the mechanism underlying heterogeneous interactions within the supernetwork.

Automated summary

There is significant evidence on how resource nexus affects resources' overall performance across sectors. However, the interactions among different resource flows and their impact on economic systems, including resource allocation, production efficiency, input-output relationships, and environmental sustainability, are not well understood. This study integrates water, land, and food input-output networks into a supernetwork framework to analyze resource flows and reveal the interactions among heterogeneous resource systems under the water-land-food nexus. The results provide insights into resource efficiency and can inform resource management strategies at different levels.