Integrating ecosystem services into the water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus for informed conservation strategies and planning in the Upper White Nile basin.

ABSTRACT: This study explores the integration of ecosystem services within the water-energy-food-environment (WEFE) nexus framework to inform conservation and development planning in the Upper White Nile basin in East Africa, an area faced with interconnected socio-ecological and climatic challenges. Employing a multi-method approach combining stakeholder valuations and biophysical mapping, we assess the spatial distribution of WEFE-related ecosystem services across the basin and compare them to current conservation measures. Findings reveal a heterogeneous distribution of ecosystem services across the basin, with environment-related services, such as carbon sequestration and environmental quality, dominating spatially (56 %), particularly in the northeastern part of the basin, while food-related se

SUBMITTER: Schlemm A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12403180 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature