1. The water-land-food-
energy-climate Nexus for a
resource efficient Europe
Laspidou C., Witmer M., Vamvakeridou L.S.,
Domingo X. , Brouwer F., Howells M., Susnik J.,
Blanco M., Bonazountas M., Fournier M.,
Papadopoulou M.P.
15th International Conference
on Science and Technology
(CEST2017)
Maria P. Papadopoulou
Associate Professor
National Technical University
of Athens
Rhodes, 2/9/2019

2. SIM4NEXUS project
• H2020 project SIM4NEXUS
• Sustainable Integrated Management FOR the NEXUS of
water-land-food-energy-climate for a resource-efficient
Europe
• Grant of € 7.9M
• 4 year project (2016-2020)
• Started June 2016
• 25 partners from 15 European countries
• Co-ordination: Wageningen University & Research
• Core team: University of Exeter, University of Thessaly

3. Project Objectives
SIM4NEXUS has four objectives:
1. To adopt existing knowledge and develop new
expertise on the Nexus,
2. To reduce uncertainties of how policies, governance
and institutions affect complex changing
environmental systems,
3. To showcase the implementation by a network of
regional and national case studies in Europe
4. To valorise the project outputs by suitable business
models.

4. The Nexus for resource efficiency
Target:
Resource efficiency
Water-Energy-Food-Land use
under Climate Change
Instruments:
• Technology
• Economic development
• Social cohesion
• Social innovation
• Governance
• Policy

5. Previous related research: Filling the gap
Several well-established and developed “thematic” models”
do exist:
• Simulating some (but not all five) Nexus components
• At some scales (e.g. Global)
• Not necessarily targeting resource efficiency
• Some targeting GHG
• Or biodiversity
• Or the economy
But not all…

6. The main idea(s)
• Using the “thematic models” to identify the links and the gaps in
the Nexus
• With diverse Data Sources and Climate change scenarios
• Running the thematic models
• Combining outputs from the thematic models using Complexity
Science methodologies
To develop “Nexus” models for specific Case Studies and scenarios
To develop a Serious Game for education and decision makers

7. Thematic models in SIM4NEXUS

8. Concept
before integration partial integration
Nexus with
SIM4NEXUS
Common prac ce with silo-thinking,
fragmented policy and decision making
and R&D support
Decision making par ally
integra ng Nexus components
with high uncertainty about results
SIM4NEXUS approach: NEXUS-
compliant R&D and policy-making
thema c models
knowledge
policy & decision making
complexity
science
producing
integrated
knowledge
water energy food land climate
with high uncertainty
All Nexus
components
interac ng
with reduced
uncertainty

9. Structure

10. Outcome: The Serious Game
SIM4NEXUS to develop a Serious Game
• With an Innovative Knowledge Elicitation Engine (KEE)
• Based on Aqua Republica (an existing serious game focusing on
water developed by DHI)
• http://www.dhigroup.com/upload/publications/scribd/17262901
5-Exploring-the-World-of-Aqua-Republica-DHI-Case-Story.pdf

11. 12 Case Studies
• To achieve a detailed understanding of the scientific interrelations
between the components of the Nexus.
• To represent different spatial scales (regional, national,
continental and global)
• To assess the benefits of synergies in policies when decision
makers address the Nexus concerns.
• To assess relevant near-term policy initiatives. This assessment will
be accompanied by sensitivity analysis in all the case studies, in
order to reduce uncertainties and increase the reliability of each
proposed scenario.
• To propose the potential for transferability of the case study to
other regions and countries.
• As test beds of the models and the Serious Game

12. With Local stakeholders
• 3 at regional level
• 5 at national level
• 2 transboundary
At higher level (educational)
• 1 at European level
• 1 at Global level

13. GREECE: Fast-track National CS
Area: 131,957km2
Population: 10.8 million residents (1/3 concentrated along
the coast), attracting over 18 million tourists during the
summer.
Type: Greece consists of nine geographic regions in the
mainland & 4 for insular complexes. The Aegean Sea lies
to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, &
the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the
longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin 16,300 km
in length, featuring more than 5000 islands (only 227 of
which are inhabited).
Major industries: Agriculture & tourism.
Environmental sensitivity: More than 25% of total area
of Greece is registered as NATURE2000 area. In Greece
there are 50,000 species 25% of which about are endemic
& some rare (pinniped seals, sea turtles and brown bear).
About flora there are 6.300 taxa (species and subspecies)
of plants 1,000 of which are endemic.

14. TOURIST
SECTOR
Land
Development of tourist activitiesWater
Meeting tourists’ needs
Food
Meeting tourists’ needs
Energy
Meeting tourists’ needs
Climate
Adaptation to climate changeAvailability
Availability
Availability
Availability
• Climate change impacts on existing land uses and the tourist ‘product’
• Competitive land uses (e.g. agricultural sector, protected areas, forest land).
• Availability of water and energy resources – Satisfaction of tourist sector’s needs.
• Development of mass and alternative tourist activities with respect to the available
resources and peculiarities of each region.
• Policies regulating the tourist sector
• Future perspectives – Strategic directions for the development of the tourist sector.
• Management of existing problems.

15. AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR
Water
Meeting agricultural
needs - Irrigation
Availability
Land
Development of agricultural
activities
Availability
Food
Agricultural products
Production
Energy
Meeting agricultural
needs – Energy crops
Availability
Production
Climate
Adaptation to climate change
• Climate change impacts on existing land uses and existing crops.
• Food production – Agricultural products
• Competitive land uses (e.g. tourist sector, protected areas, forest land).
• Multifunctional role of agricultural land – Complementarity of activities (e.g.
agro-tourism, agricultural biomass for energy production).
• Availability of water and energy resources – Irrigation.
• Policies regulating the agricultural sector

16. available
energy
imported gas
imported oil
coal
hydropower
solar
wind
waste-
biomass
Land
uses
agricultural non
edible
industrial
forests/
Protected
areas
urban
climate
temperature
extreme
events
energy for
pumping
great demand in
land
hydropower plants in
reservoirs
an energy consuming
procedure
forests hold surface
water
great
dema
nd in
water
CO2
emissions
agricultural
edible
livestock
radiation
pasture
quality
Conceptual
Model
precipitation
importe
d
locally
produced
available
food
exporte
d
livestock
products
agricultural
products
fishery
products
available
water
groundwater
reclaimed waste water
desalination
non trans/ry transbound
ary
surface
water
bodies
reservoirs
rivers

17. surface
water
reservoirs
availab
le
energy
imported gas
imported oil
coal
hydropower
solar
wind
waste-
biomass
energy crops
energy
demand
industry
domestic
tourist sector
agricultural
sector
transport
tertiary
energy
demand
by sector
electricity
imports
electricity
exports
available
food
climate
energy
consumption
GHG emissions
Land use
agricultural
non edible
agricultural
edible
livestock
Energy Sector
pasture
forests/
Protected
areas
(NATURA2000)

18. System
Dynamic
Modelling

19. Aquastat Methodology

21. What we expect from the SG?
Case study
summary
The Greek case study is on a national scale with an emphasis on
energy needs and water scarcity issues.
Objectives:
- To provide advice to policy makers about the interdependence of
energy, water and food,
- To provide knowledge to adapt agricultural practices.
Case study
learning goals
Learn how national policies in the domains of water management,
renewable power production, and land use affect each other and
result in changes in food production, tourism, greenhouse gas
emissions, and quality and quantity of water resources.

22. Stakeholder Engagement
 Meetings in small groups or individual discussions with representatives from
several stakeholder institutions in Greece to inform them about the case
study, related policies, modelling and the serious game
- At national level:
• Ministry of Environment and Energy
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ministry of Tourism
• Piraeus Bank
• Hellenic Public Power Corporation S.A. (PPC)
• Athens Labour Unions Organization – Department of the Environment and
International Relations
• Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers (SPEF)
• Joint SA (multi-stakeholder) agri-businesses
Synergies need to be developed in national scale between policy makers,
national/ local authorities and end-users  to propose policy improvements to
better integrate the Nexus.

23. 23
Policy Analysis: Stakeholders involved
Key stakeholders:
• Ministry of Environment and Energy
• Ministry of Tourism
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Hellenic Public Power Corporation S.A.

24. For further information please consult
www.sim4nexus.eu,
follow us at @SIM4NEXUS
Thanks for your attention!
sim4nexus@wur.nl
laspidou@uth.gr
mpapadop@mail.ntua.gr