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Assessment of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus, the Syr Darya basin Dr. Bo Libert

Regional Adviser for the Environment

Environment Division, UNECE

Background

• Among the Water Conventions obligations regular regional assessments of transboundary waters: 2007 and 2011

• Findings:

– Frictions between sectors about water use in many basins

– Policy integration and coherence remains weak across the region; difficult to put into practice, painful trade offs. Improved governance needed!

• Demand in the countries for effective, practical solutions for alleviating negative impacts between sectors

• Little done about the nexus at transboundary level

Human develop-

ment

Climate change

Sectoral policies

Available techno-logies & possible actions

Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus

Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus in transboundary river basins

Country 1:

policies and

actions

Country 2:

policies and

actions

Communication, collaboration and joint action!

Need to:

1. Develop understanding of inter-

sector and inter-resources dynamics

2. To make policies and actions more

coherent across sectors and

countries

Assessment of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in selected basins

• Part of the Convention’s Work Programme since 2013

• A representative set of basins to be assessed – in pan-Europe but also beyond; different nexus settings, climate, resource scarcity etc.

• Key partners: Finland (lead)/Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, FAO, Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm)

• Generic methodology developed & piloted on the Alazani/Ganykh; adapted to the different basins

• Sava, Syr Darya, Isonzo/Soča basins included in the programme

Aims at the basin level

Support transboundary cooperation by:

• Identifying intersectoral synergies that could be further explored and utilized;

• Determining policy measures and actions that could alleviate tensions or conflicts related to the multiple uses and needs on a common resources.

• Building capacity in the countries to assess and address intersectoral impacts .

The nexus assessment process

Nexus assessment in the Syr Darya Basin • Desk study

• Multisectoral workshop (Almaty, 2-4 December 2014) for the countries organized with GWP in cooperation with FAO

• Main intersectoral issues,

some future scenarios, possible

solutions jointly identified

• Scoping level analysis

• Participatory process:

Consultations

• Funded by Finnish Ministry

of Foreign Affairs

Two main sets of issues

National solutions for energy and

food security

Negative transboundary, inter-sectoral

effects

Reduced transboundary

cooperation

Water quantity: availability, seasonal needs of different sectors, environmental needs

Water quality: most sectors using water and land resources contribute to pollution and need clean water

Paths for addressing factors affecting water quantity

Possible solutions/synergic actions identified:

1. National development with co-benefits

– Improving energy efficiency, reducing dependency on water for energy

– Rationalizing water use (esp. in agriculture)

2. Broader sustainable development and national policy coherence

– Reinforcing environmental legislation and integrating environmental considerations into sectoral policies and management practices

– Increasing policy coherence and coordination across sectors

– Climate-proofing national development

3. Accelerate national development by furthering cooperation

– Integrating environmental considerations into sectoral policies and management practices

– Increasing policy coherence and coordination across sectors/countries

– Climate-proofing national development