A substantial amount of the tropical forests of South America and Africa is generated through moisture recycling (i.e., forest rainfall self-reliance). Thus, deforestation that reduces evaporation and dampens the water cycle can further increase the risk of water-stress-induced forest loss in downwind areas, particularly during water scarce periods. However, few studies have investigated dry period forest rainfall self-reliance over longer records and consistently compared the rainforest moisture recycling in both continents. Here, we analyze dry-season anomalies of moisture recycling for mean-years and dry-years, in the South American (Amazon) and African (Congo) rainforests over the years 1980-2013. We find that, in the dry seasons, the reliance of forest rainfall on their own moisture supply (ρfor) increases by 7% (from a mean annual value of 26% to 28%) in the Amazon and up to 30% (from 28% to 36%) in the Congo. Dry years further amplify dry season ρfor in both regions by 4-5%. In both the Amazon and Congo, dry season amplification of ρfor is strongest in regions with a high mean annual ρfor. In the Amazon, forest rainfall self-reliance has declined over time. At the country scale, dry season ρfor can differ drastically from mean annual ρfor. In for example Bolivia and Gabon, mean annual ρfor is ~30% while dry season ρfor is ~50%. The dry period amplification of forest rainfall self-reliance further highlights the role of forests for sustaining their own resilience, and for maintaining downwind rainfall at both regional and national scales.

This research aims to identify several decision-making gaps which seem to be existed around Food-Energy-Water Nexus through local case study in the Kyoto city, Japan. Our research methodologies include calculating food self-sufficiency ratio at local level using national statistics, production area proportion of each food categories using local market reports, and conducting impact assessment for Water-Energy Nexus based on several scenarios of food policy. Based on the above calculation and scenario analysis on several food policies, decision-making gaps regarding Food-Energy-Water Nexus is abstracted. During the scenario analysis, decision-making gaps regarding Food-Energy-Water Nexus are found. In other words, while a watershed is decided automatically by natural and geographical conditions, energy-shed usually depend on big electricity companies and food-shed consists of consumers’ preferences, retailers’ procurement policy, farmers’ tendency to change (or not change) their production style and so on.