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Water-Energy-Food Nexus
The document discusses the pressing global challenges related to the water-energy-food nexus, highlighting that by 2025, two-thirds of the global population may face water stress, with agriculture being the largest consumer of freshwater. It emphasizes the need for integrated management of water, food, and energy systems to support sustainable development and ecosystem services. Proposed next steps include promoting scientific research, developing tools for policy support, and enhancing collaboration among stakeholders.
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Water-Energy-Food Nexus
- 1. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 1 Water-Energy-Food Nexus Dr. ir. Gensheng Zhao
- 2. Already water isa scarce resource in many places. GEO-4 estimates that by 2025 two-thirds of the global population will be living in areas experiencing water stress. Agriculture is already the biggest user of freshwater resources; expanding and intensifying bioenergy production could add to existing pressures. As the integrity of water systems declines, they are less able to provide fundamental ecosystem services such as the provision of clean water, natural filtration services, natural habitat for fisheries etc. Global challenges such as climate change, population growth, change in living standards and energy demand will further impact the world’s water supplies. Why Nexus?
- 3. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 3 THE NEXUS: EMPHASIS WITHIN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ‘Ecosystems,’ ‘Risk Reduction,’ and ‘Sustainability’ are missing from the dialogue
- 4. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 4 AN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES EMPHASIS Supporting a wide range of ecosystem services for long-term socio-economic and environmental benefits
- 5. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 5 THE NEXUS Energy–FoodSystemsand IntegratedPlanning IntegratedWaterResource Management
- 6. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 6 WATER & ENERGY
- 7. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 7 NEXT STEPS • Promote science to address knowledge gaps • Develop and promote a toolbox • Policy support and capacity building • Further engage in the dialogue Creating a common vision: The Water-Food-Energy- Nexus
- 8. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 8 PROJECT ONGOING National key R & D plan Key Technology of Coordination and Safety Guarantee for “Water-Energy-Food” Nexus International S&T Cooperation Program of China Tendency of and Measures for Regional Water Security in the Process of Urbanization
- 9. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 9 PARTNER INSTRUMENT LOT 4: Water and Energy Security Sustainable Hydropower Use and Integrations in China and EU
- 10. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 10 PROPOSED COOPERATION PARTNARS CEWP Partners……
- 11. © NHRI |223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China | http://www.nhri.cn | +86-25-8582-8116 (T) | +86-25-8373-4321 (F) P. 11 CONTACT US Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute +86-25-83734321 gszhao@nhri.cn +86-25-85828213 http://www.nhri.cn 223 Guangzhou Rd., Nanjing 210029, P.R. China @NHRI1935
Editor's Notes
- #3 Greater awareness of the complex interconnectedness of water, energy and food.
- #4 IISD – International Institute for Sust Dev CISRO -- Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Org ODI – Overseas Development Institute – European Center for Dev Policy Mngmt DIE – Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik All somewhat different in scope and emphasis, together these various initiatives and meetings cover many issues in the water-energy-food nexus. Interactions between water and energy so far received most attention, often distinguishing the two directions: water for energy (for e.g. extraction, cooling, hydropower, bioenergy) and energy for water (for e.g. pumping, transport, treatment). The water sector offers a wealth of information on water and food linkages (e.g. related to irrigation, and water productivity in agriculture). The food sector, in turn, is worried about issues related to competition for land and water (bioenergy),energy issues related to agricultural inputs (e.g. pumps, fertilizer), but also various uses of biomass other than food and bioenergy. In most countries both the agricultural and the energy sector are dependent on high degrees of subsidy. While these subsidies are often aimed at supporting poor consumers and smallholder farmers, in practice they benefit large industries as well and may lead to waste. While the various initiatives have helped to start the dialogue, in practice the sectors involved stay largely in their own domains, steered by their own interests and restrictions, and contributions to the nexus tend to be sector-specific. The water sector has a hard time trying to reconcile water needs for industry, agriculture and municipal water supply with those for energy and managing its impacts (using tools such as Integrated Water Resources Management, water registers, accounting, water foot printing). The agriculture sector is fragmented in sub-sectors (e.g. food crops, fiber crops, bioenergy, food processing, rural development, land tenure) where many smallholders are dominated by influential large commercial producers and the food processing industry. Hence the energy sector often provides the entry point in nexus discussions as it is both more consolidated (though integrated energy management usually means the combination of various types of energy generation and not the involvement of other sector and bioenergy is highly variable, scattered and its impacts often poorly understood) and in general, better funded. In addition, there is the issue of scale, as impacts of energy linkages tend to have cross-boundary impacts, whereas international governance is highly challenging at the least. However, if the nexus is to achieve sustainable livelihoods, a focus on ecosystems might be more effective in creating a common vision in the nexus CA (Comprehensive Assessment) (2007) Water for Food, Water for Life: a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture. Earthscan, London, UK; International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Otto M (2013) Energy, water and food: a systems approach. World Energy Insight IRP (2012) Measuring water use in a green economy, United Nations Environment Programme, Paris, France. UNEP International Resource Panel. McGlade, J., Werner, B., Young, M., Matlock, M., Jefferies, D., Sonnemann, G., Aldaya, M., Pfister, S., Berger, M., Farell, C., Hyde, K., Wackernagel, M., Hoekstra, A., Mathews, R., Liu, J., Ercin, E., Weber, J.L., Alfieri, A., Martinez-Lagunes, R., Edens, B., Schulte, P., von Wiren-Lehr, S. and Gee, D.
- #5 (The water-energy-food nexus with emphasis on ecosystem services as main elements of an environmental strategy, according to UN-ESCAP) In all this, UNEP promotes the dimension of ecosystems as enabling environment for sustainable livelihoods and green growth under conditions of climate change. This goes beyond the utilitarian objective of using resources for economic development and explicitly aims at supporting a wide range of ecosystem services for long term multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits, mitigating pollution and resource degradation. This is in line with earlier UNEP work on e.g. water4, food3 and bioenergy11,, in which several methodologies have been analyzed to better manage natural resources for green growth, such as the use of environmental flows, stewardship and life cycle assessments10. Ecosystem services can then be valued and incorporated to be used as arguments in policy discussions on economic development and trade-offs (Figure 3), linking resource efficiency, biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as the social values of water. At the same time, an ecosystem approach can point out the opportunities for using multipurpose natural infrastructure in the nexus at landscape level. Krchnak, K., Smith, M., Deutz, A., (2011) Putting Nature in the Nexus: Investing in Natural Infrastructure to Advance Water-Energy-Food Security Bonn2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus – Solutions for the Green Economy, Background Papers for the Stakeholder Engagement Process, IUCN/TNC UNEP (2011) The bioenergy and water nexus. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Freiburg: Oeko-Institut ; and IEA Bioenergy Task 43. TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) (2010) The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: mainstreaming the economics of nature: A synthesis of the approach, conclusions and recommendations of TEEB. United Nations Environment Program.
- #8 Promote science to address knowledge gaps Scientific research and case studies to increase understanding on the role of ecosystems within the nexus Data monitoring and verification on water, land, energy, food, climate change, values of ecosystem services, etc. Incorporating land dimension: Making the case Develop and promote a toolbox Policy support and capacity building Partnerships with governments, civil society and business sector Support inter-sector negotiations Further engage in the dialogue Participation in on-going and future science-policy dialogues on the Nexus to bring the ecosystems dimension