Governance of food, energy, and water (FEW) systems is complex and context-dependent. Existing research lacks much empirical research of FEW governance at the local level, especially in cities. This paper compares and contrasts FEW nexus governance in three mid-sized cities: Slupsk, Poland; Tulcea, Romania; and Wilmington, DE, USA. Using document review, semi-structured interviews, and citizen workshops, the comparative analysis examines the extent of collaborative and participatory governance in each case as well as the barriers and opportunities for expanding integrated nexus governance. Limited instances of collaborative and participatory governance emerged reflecting the local contexts and differing roles of non-governmental actors. The cases revealed a lack of awareness of the FEW nexus as well as a lack of opportunity for developing integrated governance or management strategies. Nascent conversations especially on sustainable development provide a starting point for deepening nexus governance in practice.

Nowadays, about 80% of the Danube floodplain-Romanian sector are embanked and arranged with desiccation works and locally with drainage. Once with increasing pressures on the system and the complexity of the issues, there has been developed a number of mechanisms by which human activity (LU change) influence the stability and services of ecosystems and the need for planning tools are changing rapidly. Motivated by dramatic climatic change in recent decades and especially increased frequency of extreme events-2006 and 2010, the study focused on developing models and scenarios of climatic change, especially those related to land use change and flooding affecting local communities/regions. Thus, in the given circumstances, the best option is to foreseen a policy on the Lower Danube riverbed, followed by a series of advanced tools for exploring the 4D reconnection (longitudinal, lateral, vertical and temporal) and a well prepared monitoring system which alert address to detected threats. 4D reconnection of the lower Danube floodplain will provide a spatial planning tool, developed in accordance with this three features, and built to design, analyse and evaluate long-term policies in an ecological, social, economic and cultural context.