Grounding Nexus Governance: De-Nexused Developments in Nepal

There appears to be little agreement on the precise meaning of the nexus, whether it only complements existing environmental governance approaches or how it can be enhanced in national contexts. Technical solutions for improving coherence and governance within the nexus may have unintended and negative impacts in other policy areas, such as poverty alleviation. The nexus is yet to be extensively grounded, into national policies and practices, and broad-based local demand for nexus-framed policies is currently limited. Through a mini-case study in Nepal, this article seeks to analyse what is the local understanding and practice around the relationship between food, energy and water to inform nexus thinking and practice. These mini-case studies will inform us on the interaction between formal and informal institutional arrangement and how these interactions form the basis of a nexus system.