Water, energy and food security are critical for realizing the Green Economy initiative. This article aims to assess the implications of climate change on the Water–Energy–Food Nexus in Tanzania within the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) context. It analyses smallholder livelihoods in terms of access to and control over resources and investigates how their livelihoods are impacted by contested access to and control over land and water. We review relevant empirical knowledge and policy context in Tanzania and analyse the extent to which the policy environment promotes (or does not promote) smallholder adaptive capacity.