Part I: water-energy-food nexus issues & approaches in the UK & overseas

Overview

Water, energy and food are essential for human well-being. Water, energy and food systems are interlinked with land, climate and ecological systems.  Global demands for food, water and energy are projected to increase against a background of decreasing water availability due to a combination of increasing abstractions (mainly for agriculture) and climate change, spiraling energy costs and the threat of land degradation.  Management of competing demands involves identifying trade-offs and synergies among interlinked systems in order to achieve a balanced sustainable development.

The global community is well aware of water-energy-food challenges, but has often addressed them in isolation, within sectoral limits. At the country level, fragmented sectoral responsibilities, lack of coordination, and inconsistencies between legal and regulatory frameworks has led to misaligned benefits and stress on natural resources.

A Water-Energy-Food (and increasingly Environmental) Nexus approach is reported to offer a means of analysing and managing competing demands on limited resources in an integrated manner. The meeting will explore what is meant by a nexus approach and will highlight examples of integrated analysis aimed at managing trade-offs and optimising outputs.

Talks will be given by speakers who are working on issues using an integrated or nexus approach.

Please click here to watch part 2.

Programme