The DAFNE project uses a decision-analytic framework to explore sustainable management of the water-energy-food nexus in transboundary contexts. It focuses on the Zambezi River Basin across 8 countries in Africa. The objectives are to develop understanding of the nexus, generate alternative planning solutions, and foster equitable resource use without environmental harm. Key issues in the basin include trade-offs between energy production and irrigation, population growth pressures, and transboundary governance challenges. The project involves stakeholders to collect data, develop scenarios, integrate models, and identify robust management alternatives through an online negotiation simulation lab.

1. www.dafne-project.eu
@dafne_project
DECISION ANALYTIC FRAMEWORK TO EXPLORE THE
WATER-ENERGY-FOOD NEXUS IN COMPLEX TRANSBOUNDARY
WATER RESOURCES OF FAST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
Funded under the H2020 Framework
Programme of the EU, GA No. 690268
ECCA 2019
Ebun Akinsete, ICRE8
May 29th, 2019

2. What is DAFNE?
The DAFNE project explores sustainable and
integrated options for the management of
water, energy and food.
Focus on transboundary context in fast growing
countries.

3. Objectives of DAFNE?
To establish a decision-analytic framework (DAF)
for Participatory and Integrated Planning (PIP) that will:
• Develop a better understanding of the WEF (Water-
Energy-Food) nexus
• Generate and explore alternative planning and
management solutions focused on the WEF nexus
• Contribute to solutions that foster profitable but
equitable use of resources without infringing on
environmental limits (thus minimizing and mitigating
societal conflicts)

4. Case Study: Zambezi River Basin
• 4th Largest River
Basin in Africa
(1,400,000 km2)
• 8 Countries:
• Zambia
• Angola
• Zimbabwe
• Mozambique
• Malawi
• Botswana
• Tanzania
• Namibia

5. • Key Issues:
• Trade-offs: Energy
Production/Irrigation (Energy-Food)
• Other sectors reliant on the Zambezi:
Mining, Tourism (Ecosystems), Water
• Trans-boundary governance under
ZAMCOM - Zambezi Basin
Watercourses Commission
• Population growth (urbanisation)
placing increasing pressure on the
Nexus

6. Active engagement of diverse range of
stakeholders in the process from the outset of the
project
Tools to facilitate social
understanding of the impact
and support comparative
analysis of the
alternative through negotiations
(Negotiation Simulation Lab: NSL)
Building the Decision-Analytic Framework (DAF)
Stakeholder Involvement

7. Building the Decision-Analytic Framework (DAF)
Extensive data collection (quantitative and
qualitative) on WEF related issues in the area
Developing Scenarios (baseline and future) to
characterize the hydrologic, ecological, infrastructural
(energy and water), social, economic systems as well as
the governance and policy contexts
Developing and integrating models which capture
each of the above elements
Identifying and assessing robust water management
alternatives, or temporal sequences thereof (pathways)
in collaboration with stakeholders
Integrated Models

8. Building the Decision-Analytic Framework (DAF)

9. NSL Online Platform
These tools comprise the NSL online platform
Online Stakeholder Interaction Area Multi-perspective Visual Analysis Tool
DAFNE Geoportal

10. www.dafne-project.eu
@dafne_project