INTRODUCTION TO THE Water-Energy-Food Security (WEF) NEXUS

1. R INTRODUCTION TO THE Water-Energy-Food Security (WEF) NEXUS

2. R Outline 1: Background • Importance of the Nexus • The WEF Nexus approach • Variations of the WEF Nexus model 2: WEF Interactions • Concepts of water, energy and food security • Interconnections: Trade-offs and competition, resources use efficiency, synergies • Pool of case studies 3: WEF Nexus Assessment and Implementation • Assessment tools • Implementation and intervention instruments WEF Nexus Background

3. R INTRODUCTION TO THE Water-Energy-Food NEXUS Chapter 1: Background

4. R Water, Energy and Food Security: pillars of development! • All communities strive to achieve water, energy, and food security • Actions to achieve this may take place at local, national and global level • Achieving each of these securities requires resources and has external effects! WEF Nexus Background

5. R The Sustainable Development Goals UN, 2015 WEF Nexus Background

6. R Achieving WEF Security goals in a dynamic world Present Future • Unmet demands! • 0.9 billion people have no access to clean water • 1.1 billion people have no access to electricity • 1 billion people have insufficient food supply • Increasing demands! • Due to population growth, economic development and changing consumption patterns • The uncertainties of global changeexacerbate the difficulty in achieving these goals UNDESA, 2014; CCAFS, n.d. WEF Nexus Background

7. R The WEF sectors are closely related Examples of interconnections: • Agriculture accounts for 70% of total global freshwater withdrawals • 90% of energy produced today is water-intensive • Agriculture & food chain account for 33% of global energy demand UNU, 2013 WEF Nexus Background

8. R Single-mindedly pursuing individual goals may interfere with other goals Example: Increasing electricity production • Higher energy security • More abstraction of water for cooling • Less water for other sectors and the environment • Less water security Example: Intensifying agricultural production • Higher food security • Competition for land resources (eg. biofuels vs. crops as food) • More use of fertilisers • Contamination of water resources • Less water security downstream  Need for a systematic WEF Nexus approach! U.S. Department of Energy, 2006 LaB, 2010 WEF Nexus Background

9. R What is the WEF Nexus approach? • Describes the complex and interrelated nature of our global resources systems • Supports holistic resources management • Pathways of sustainability through coordinated management and use of natural resources across sectors and scales. WEF Nexus Background

10. R The WEF Nexus in environmental policy debate Hoff, 2011 WEF Nexus Background

11. R WEF Nexus from the ecosystem perspective GIZ, 2016 WEF Nexus Background

12. R Benefits of a Nexus approach • Contributes to achieving water, energy and food security as pillars of development and well-being • Identifies and addresses trade-offs and reaches synergies between different sectors, thus improving decision making • Creates mutual benefits of cooperation and improved resources governance • Facilitates the alignment of development strategies • Allows smart investments to be made • Increase efficiency in resources use WEF Nexus Background

13. R Understanding the linksbetween SDGs SEI, 2017 WEF Nexus Background

14. R Possible measures for Nexus implementation Join institutions (ministries, agencies, etc.) Introduce legislation and norms that stipulate a Nexus approach TOWARDS NEXUS IMPLEMENTATION Engage other institutions with regional competence Build joint committees and informal working groups Establish science-based policy Strengthen interfaces within a given institution WEF Nexus Background

15. R VARIATIONS OF THE WEF NEXUS MODEL

16. R Variations of the concept • The Nexus concept can be visualised in many ways • Several of these are presented in the following slides • As every situation and region is unique, certain conceptual models may be more suitable to describe a particular situation • All models identify water, energy and food security as the integral components WEF Nexus Background

17. O Variations of the concept European Report on Development, 2012 WEF Nexus Background

18. O Variations of the concept Biggs et al., 2015 WEF Nexus Background

19. O Variations of the concept Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (2017) WEF Nexus Background

20. O Variations of the concept Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2017 WEF Nexus Background

21. I QuestionsPlease answer with regard to your country or region • What are the major WEF Nexus challenges in your country? • Are there any Nexus related projects implemented in your country? • How could integration between the water, energy and food sectors be achieved under the existing institutional structures in your country? WEF Nexus Background

22. R Summary and Outlook • The Water-Energy-Food security Nexus is a concept and approach which looks at interconnections which are usually overlooked, yet are very important • The WEF Nexus concept is about harnessing synergies and addressing trade-offs • The next section will focus in more detail on the interactions between water, energy and food security WEF Nexus Background

23. R Thank you for your time