Analysis of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus for Sustainable Biomass Utilisation for Fuel, Fibre, and Food in Selected East Asia Summit Countries – Phase II (2024–2025) Report

Across six East Asia Summit (EAS) countries – Thailand, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Viet Nam – unprecedented demand for food, energy, water, and land is placing increasing strain on ecosystems. This study applies a water–energy–food–land–climate (WEFLC) nexus framework to assess biomass sustainability, focusing on key crops such as sugarcane, cassava, maize, rice, and palm oil. The analysis highlights distinct trade-offs across countries: cassava in Thailand and maize in India demonstrate high efficiency in water and energy use with relatively low emissions, while palm oil and rice are resource-intensive and generate higher emissions.

Country-level findings reveal critical pressures, including groundwater depletion in India, land-use conflicts in Indonesia, and governance fragmentation in Malaysia. A stakeholder survey further indicates rising awareness of the WEFLC approach, though challenges in policy coherence and cross-sector coordination remain. Advancing sustainable biomass and aligning agricultural objectives will require strengthened governance, investment in clean technologies, and the development of integrated policies.