This briefing note outlines the challenges and opportunities for Indonesia to achieve water, energy and food security targets in ways that align with its long term development strategy.

A water-energy-food (WEF) nexus approach is used to identify and evaluate synergies and trade-offs across different sector targets. This recognises the interdependency between water, energy and food systems and their reliance on natural resources, in particular forests and peatlands. Finally, it focusses on how Indonesia’s existing legislative and institutional frameworks can facilitate or hinder cross-sectoral coordination and the coherent implementation of national development targets.

Although primarily focussed at the national level, it draws on in-depth case studies from Aceh province to help in understanding practical realities at the scale of implementation.