Post by Emre Alp

Effective governance of the 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫–𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲–𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝–𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 (𝐖𝐄𝐅𝐄) 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐬 is essential for managing complex resource trade-offs and ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. In our recent paper published in 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, we address this critical issue by mapping the intricate 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬 within the Porsuk Watershed. Through an integrated approach 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐬, our research reveals how fragmented management structures and isolated "in-group" collaborations currently hinder cross-sectoral synergies. Notably, this study marks the first time in the literature that the 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 has been incorporated within the scope of the WEFE nexus. Ultimately, our findings highlight the urgent need to bridge the coordination gap between central authorities, downstream actors, and the scientific community to foster more resilient watershed management. The authors wish to dedicate this work to the memory of 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟.𝐃𝐫. 𝐆ü𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐊ö𝐤𝐬𝐚𝐥, who passed away in January 2026. In the early stages of this study, Prof. Köksal played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of the work and encouraged us to develop what initially appeared to be a modest work package into a comprehensive and distinctive contribution to the literature. We remain deeply grateful for her insight, mentorship, and inspiration. We extend our sincere appreciation to the 50 stakeholders who participated in the interviews conducted between July 6, 2022 and October 21, 2022, as their time and engagement were invaluable to this study. This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) under the project titled “A New Approach for Sustainable Water Management: Integration of the Circular Economy Approach to the Framework of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus” (Project No. 121R014). A huge thanks to our brilliant co-authors Ece Demir, Ezgi Özdemir, Irem Yapan, Buse Berfin Kart, esin yandımata, Yasemin Demir, Pinar Derin Güre for making this research possible. You can read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/d5yT7SA3