About the journal
Browse
-
Collections
Authors & reviewers
-
Global engineering fronts
This study systematically reviewed complex network-based resilience assessment and intelligent decision optimization methods within the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus system in groundwater-scarce irrigation regions of northeastern China. While global research has advanced from conceptual frameworks to quantitative modeling, existing studies still rely on homogeneous coupling and static topological structures, failing to capture regional seasonal freeze-thaw dynamics and heterogeneous agricultural management characteristics. Three key gaps were identified: the absence of multilayer heterogeneous WEF network models tailored to local hydrogeological and institutional features; weak coupling between data-driven resilience indicators and mechanism-driven hydrological/crop models; and the lack of operational frameworks to translate resilience diagnostics into climate-adaptive decisions. To address these gaps, a cyber-physical-social systems paradigm is proposed, mapping institutional actors within the region into social space. These findings indicate that WEF nexus resilience has improved over the last two decades but remains vulnerable to groundwater depletion, with mechanization intensity and irrigation coverage emerging as primary driving factors influencing resilience.