ERIA Working Group Advances WEF Nexus Analysis for Sustainable Biomass Development

Bangkok, 24 April 2026: As governments across ASEAN and East Asia respond to the adverse impacts of fuel supply disruptions from the Middle East, they face the complex challenge of balancing energy security, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. At the same time, growing interest in strengthening domestic energy supply through biomass is placing additional pressure on interconnected water, energy, food, land, and climate (WEFLC) systems.

Members of the ERIA Working Group from East Asia Summit (EAS) countries have been examining sustainable biomass development through the WEFLC nexus framework under a three-phase study. Building on Phase 1, which focused on policy review and meta-analysis, and Phase 2, which mapped trade-offs, Phase 3 incorporates expert survey results to validate findings by reflecting both stakeholder perspectives and on-the-ground implementation realities at the country level.

Working group members from India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam convened in Bangkok on 22-23 April 2026 to discuss the key findings of the trade-off survey.

Jointly led by Dr Yuki Kudoh, Deputy Director General at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Research Fellow for Innovation at ERIA, the discussions underscored the importance of prioritising sustainability objectives within national policy frameworks. The survey findings indicate that water is the most vulnerable component of the WEFLC nexus. While energy, land, and economic factors are often prioritised in biomass development, water-related impacts are less frequently integrated into planning and decision-making.

A consistent pattern emerged across countries: biomass expansion is largely driven by economic and land-use considerations, while environmental concerns - particularly water - receive comparatively less attention. This imbalance poses long-term sustainability risks, especially in water-scarce areas. Participants also highlighted land as a critical control variable shaping biomass pathways and trade-offs, particularly in relation to food security and environmental sustainability. Variations in responses reflected differing national contexts, resource endowments, and policy priorities.

A central theme of the discussions was the lack of effective cross-sectoral coordination. Participants identified institutional, political, technical, and data-related gaps as key constraints. Fragmented policymaking across energy, agriculture, water, and land sectors was seen as a major barrier, often resulting in unintended trade-offs.

To address these challenges, participants explored practical approaches to improve coordination, including strengthening inter-agency collaboration, developing integrated policy frameworks, enhancing data-sharing platforms, and promoting multi-stakeholder engagement. The importance of regional co-operation through the EAS framework was also emphasised as critical for facilitating knowledge exchange, harmonising approaches, and supporting capacity building.

The survey findings will be presented at the EAS Energy Cooperation Task Force (ECTF) Ministerial Meeting in October 2026, alongside ERIA's integrated report.