climatenexusACT was pleased to release our new book: The Climate Nexus: Water, Food, Energy, and Biodiversity in a Changing World, by Jon O’Riordan & Robert William Sandford 

Published by Rocky Mountain Books | $16 hardcover

We held an event in Vancouver on December 3rd to launch this exciting book.

Secure supplies of water, food and energy are essential to human dignity and well-being around the globe. In turn, the vitality of these three depends on a thriving biodiversity supported by healthy ecosystems. The complex interdependence among these four factors is known as the Nexus.

Global demand for the first three elements is increasing due to population growth and rising per capita incomes in developing countries, with steadily worsening consequences for the fourth of these elements.

The four Nexus elements are also coming under increasing pressure from climate disruption: more frequent and severe flooding and storms, droughts, extreme heat, and pest outbreaks. What’s more, Nature’s capacity to moderate these impacts is being steadily eroded by rapid, widespread land-use development and associated pollution.

This impending “perfect storm” of increasing demand, decreasing supplies and rapidly changing hydro-climatic conditions throughout the Nexus requires transformative policy responses that encompass economy, equity, social justice, fairness and the environment. This book outlines these challenges and offers a pathway to resolving them.

Dr. Jon O’Riordan is a senior policy and research adviser to ACT and authored our Biodiversity report (2008). He has formerly served as deputy minister of sustainable resource management and as assistant deputy minister of environment in the British Columbia government.  He is also the co-author of The Columbia River Treaty: A Primer (RMB, 2015).

Robert William Sandford is a senior water adviser to ACT and authored our Water Governance report (2011). He is the author of some 20 books on the history, heritage and landscape of the Canadian Rockies, including Water, Weather and the Mountain West (RMB, 2007), The Weekender Effect: Hyperdevelopment in Mountain Towns (RMB, 2008), Restoring the Flow: Confronting the World’s Water Woes (RMB, 2009), Ethical Water: Learning to Value What Matters Most (RMB, 2011), Cold Matters: The State and Fate of Canada’s Fresh Water (RMB, 2012), Saving Lake Winnipeg (RMB, 2013), Flood Forecast: Climate Risk and Resiliency in Canada (RMB, 2014), and Storm Warning: Water and Climate Security in a Changing World (RMB, 2015). He is also the co-author of The Columbia River Treaty: A Primer (RMB, 2015). Robert lives in Canmore, Alberta.

Co-author Bob Sandford with the new book

Co-author Bob Sandford with the new book

ACT celebrated the launch with expert guests who are working on nexus issues