Alvin Muhammad ‘Ainul Yaqin, Jules Alva Yeremia Lembong, Sigit Rahmat Rizalmi, Vridayani Anggi Leksono, Remba Yanuar Efranto, Muhammad Anugrah Salfian
Achieving global sustainability requires managing the interdependencies between water, energy, and food systems, central to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The water–energy–food nexus provides a framework for addressing these interconnections, but existing approaches often neglect direct SDG index performance, particularly for SDGs 6 (clean water), 7 (clean energy), and 8 (economic growth). Additionally, the economic dimension, such as linking resource efficiency with gross domestic product (GDP) growth under SDG 8, is underexplored. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization model to address these gaps by optimizing water withdrawal, increasing renewable energy use, and promoting sustainable economic growth through adjusted GDP metrics. A case study of Indonesia demonstrates significant improvements in SDG index scores: 18.11% for SDG 6, 148.94% for SDG 7, and 114.54% for SDG 8. The results reveal that jointly increasing fossil fuels and renewables for electricity generation can benefit renewable energy, leading to higher electricity output with lower resource use. Sensitivity analysis shows that reducing natural gas supply lowers electricity generation, while boosting hydro energy supply enhances it. These findings emphasize the model’s ability to balance environmental sustainability and economic goals, providing policymakers with a robust tool for integrated resource management and advancing the SDGs. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.
Systems Modeling and Optimization Research Group, Department of Industrial Engineering, Institut Teknologi Kalimantan, Balikpapan, Indonesia; Department of Industrial Engineering, Institut Teknologi Kalimantan, Balikpapan, Indonesia; Department of Industrial Engineering, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. MT Haryono No. 167, Ketawanggede, Lowokwaru, Jawa Timur, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
