Bringing Ecosystems to the Forefront of the

Water-Energy-Food Nexus Discussion

IUCN/IWA/UNEP Side Event at Nexus 2014 Conference,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

March 5, 2014

Carla Friedrich
Associate Programme Officer
United Nations Environment Programme
Regional Office for North America
 Why Nexus?
Already water is a 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.
The Nexus: Emphasis Within Different
Organizations

‘Ecosystems,’ ‘Risk Reduction,’ and ‘Sustainability’

are missing from the dialogue
The Nexus According to UNEP

Figure 1 Figure 2 - UNEP

Sustainable Livelihoods & Green Growth

An Ecosystem Services Emphasis

Supporting a wide range of ecosystem services for long-term

socio-economic and environmental benefits
 Water
Water for Energy Water for Food
Energy – Food Systems and Integrated Planning production: production:

Integrated Water Resource Management

-extraction, mining, -biomass for food and
refining and residue fodder production
disposal of fossil fuels (irrigation and rainfed)
-plant cooling -food processing
-hydropower
-bioenergy feedstock
production

Energy for Food

Energy for Access to
Security:
Water:
-irrigation
-water pumping and
-fertilizer production
distribution
- agricultural machinery
-water treatment
-food preservation and
-sea water desalination
Energy

processing

Food
-transport
-cooking

Agricultural waste and

Agricultural waste and
residues and food
residues to rebuild soil
waste for bioenergy

Land

Agro-Ecological Zoning Source: M.Otto

UNEP’s Role: Governance
 Involving relevant sectors in dialogues

 Convincing policy makers to apply a system of

economic and environmental accounting, including
valuation of natural capital

 Assisting in the development of policy and

management tools

Putting ecosystems at the center of the

water-energy-food Nexus
 Examples of Relevant UNEP Activities
 Landcapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative
(with EcoAgriculture, FAO, WRI, CI, and other partners)

 Incorporation of ecosystems regulatory services in decision support systems

(with IWMI)
 Zambezi and Nile
 GEF floods and droughts project in the Mekong and Volta

 Integrating water and energy activities in the green economy

 Wastewater and sanitation resource recovery and energy reuse

 Work on biomass optimization using land and water (with FAO and IUCN --
exploring options for a platform that engages various production and end use sectors,
governments and civil society)

 Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, such as valuation efforts in

the Mekong and trans-boundary basin plans in Okavango
 Flagship project on Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (with UNDP, IUCN and BMU)
 Recent publications
 The Bioenergy and Water Nexus

 Ecosystems for Water and Food Security

 Avoiding future famines: Strengthening the ecological foundation of food security

through sustainable food systems

 The Environmental Food Crisis: The Environment's role in averting future food crisis
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-Ecosystems Nexus
International Conference on
Sustainability in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus
19-20 May 2014 in Bonn, Germany

Complementary to IUCN/IWA Nexus dialogues on water infrastructures

Main topics
 Tools for the sustainable implementation of the Nexus approach
 Governance and management of the Nexus
 Considering the Environment and Livelihoods
 Implementing the Nexus at Various Scales

http://wef-conference.gwsp.org

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