The humanitarian-development-peace (triple) nexus: a typology and critical reflections

This article explores how the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus (also known as the triple nexus) is operationalised, moving beyond policy discourse to implementation on the ground. Drawing on a systematic literature review, programme analysis, and field-based observation, it proposes three operational approaches to the HDP nexus, integrated, nexus-sensitive, and coordinated, which often appear in hybrid forms. Building on Paul Howe's (2019) 'bundles and arrays' framework, the typology moves the focus from individual project design to broader organisational strategies, institutional mandates, contextual realities, and trade-offs shaping nexus practice. The analysis situates this within a decade of nexus discourse and implementation, addressing current pressures such as shrinking aid budgets and the integration of climate and displacement agendas, while examining their implications for operational practice. Rather than pursuing a universal model, the paper argues that effective practice resists standardisation, emerging instead from negotiation across shifting mandates, evolving priorities, and diverse contexts, offering a typology to guide context-specific operational choices.