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Exploring synergistic pathways between urbanization, water use efficiency, and renewable energy adoption in enhancing food security in Sub-Saharan Africa: A causal analysis using temporal causal modeling
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DOI：10.1016/j.worlddev.2026.107404.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The Global South has experienced rapid urban expansion in recent decades, driven by population growth and rural-to-urban migration. This rapid urbanization presents both significant challenges and opportunities. On one hand, it creates momentum for innovation, particularly in enhancing water use efficiency, accelerating the adoption of renewable energy, and advancing infrastructure development. On the other hand, it places increasing pressure on essential resources such as water, food, and energy. This increasing pressure consequently leads to the need for integrated, resource-efficient systems as the region grapples with energy poverty, water scarcity, and food insecurity. However, empirical studies exploring the synergistic pathways among water use efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and urbanization in achieving food security remain limited. Therefore, this study uses Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a case study to explore synergistic causal pathways between urbanization, renewable energy use, water use efficiency, food supply, and food prices using a panel dataset of 15 demographically dynamic SSA countries from 2000 to 2022. We employed Common Correlated Effects and Temporal Causal Models to estimate long-run panel elasticities and establish mutual causal synergies among urbanization, water use efficiency, and renewable energy in achieving food security. The findings indicate that urbanization drives food prices while also advancing improvements in water use efficiency and renewable energy adoption, which in turn enhance food security. Both water use efficiency and renewable energy use individually and interactively contribute to improved food security outcomes. Moreover, renewable energy use and water use efficiency also promote urbanization, which in turn mediates and reinforces their effects on food security. Furthermore, results of the scenario analysis indicate that improvements in water use efficiency contribute to food stability. These findings underscore the positive role of urbanization in catalyzing renewable energy adoption and water use efficiency, which together enhance food security outcomes.
Keywords:
Urbanization
Food security
Water use efficiency
Renewable energy
Synergies
Temporal causal modeling
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