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The Nexus Dialogues EU Programme

Sophie Lainé, DG DEVCO C.5: Water, Infrastructure and Cities

EUWI EECCA Working Group: 12-13th May 2016

The Nexus concept

What is the Water-Energy-Food Nexus?

Water, energy and land are part of the same ecosystem. The nexus is an innovative approach that aims at strengthening an integrated approach of the management of these resources.

Background (1)

The Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus: Moving from concept to implementation

• Bonn2011 Conference: "The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus: Solutions for the Green Economy";

• The BMZ/GIZ 'Nexus Resource Platform' established for a growing Nexus community

• Agenda for Change (2011) drove a step-change towards a new approach for integrated management of water resources in relation to the focus on energy and agriculture.

• The 2011/2012 EU Development Report urging the international community to radically transform approaches to managing water, energy and land;

• Berlin2013 Conference: "Realizing the Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus” highlighted the relevance of regional cross-sectorial dialogue processes led by regional organisations;

Background (2)

• Support from EUMS Development Agencies (GIZ, SIDA, ADA and AFD) to mentor regional and basin organisations and country processes towards an operationalisation of the Nexus perspective;

• Work of international organisations such as UNECE, OECD, FAO and that of NGOs (IUCN) to foster Nexus Dialogues in specific regions and countries. Work and support from other major donors: USA, World Bank etc. to help develop multi-sector investment programmes at basin-level.

• European Council Conclusions on water diplomacy from 2013 and 2015: recommendation that countries, international organisations, regional and sub-regional bodies adopt a comprehensive response to reconciling different uses of water resources: drinking/sanitation, agriculture, food production, industry and energy etc.

• Incremental adoption of nexus principles within National Policy Dialogues on water/EU Water Initiative.

The "Nexus Dialogues" Programme

Across development cooperation and thematic actors there is agreement for coordinated Nexus action…

The EU-led "Nexus Dialogues" Phase I (2016-2018) EUR 6,17 million proposes to strategically steer on-going and newly established demand-driven Nexus policy-dialogue approaches in FIVE regions: •Africa (Nile, Niger and SADC) •Latin America •Asia (Mekong Area) •Central Asia (Aral Sea region) •Neighbourhood (with particular focus on the Mediterranean region)

with a view to achieving substantial outcomes, namely, Nexus policy recommendations and concrete endorsed Nexus action plans that can benefit from Phase II (project implementation can start from 2017 onwards when further funds would be mobilised for leveraging investment in larger-projects).

This action will also finance support studies, building up teams of nexus experts (women targetted) from the countries/regions, small-pilot projects and an evaluation and a feasibility study to guide Phase II i.e. leveraging of investment projects.

The SDGs and the link to the Nexus

Adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 in NY (Nexus SDGs: Goal 2 (zero hunger), Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and goal 7 (affordable and clean energy)

The Nexus in Central Asia

• Milan Ministerial 2015 commitment by Central Asian countries to the Nexus concept and its implementation.

• Nexus discourse included in National Policy Dialogues in Central Asian countries to date can be strengthened in the next phase (under preparation) of the EU regional programme for water & environment in Central Asia.

• Build on key work to date by UNECE, OECD, IUCN/IWA, GIZ, World Bank, (CAWECOOP project is financed by the EU) and other partners and donors on mapping, indicators, data collection, modelling, and multi-sector investment planning.

• Nexus opportunities present in drafting, implementation and management of sectoral reform, which can reduce cost, make investments more sustainable and remove trade-offs.

• Opportunity to strengthen the nexus focus within the new EC IFAS Secretariat moving to Turkmenistan in 2016.

• €650,000 available for High-level Energy/Agricultural/Water dialogue (building on the work of the CAWECOOP project) to develop Nexus Action Plans at national and regional level for the identification of multi-sector investment projects that could be financed by Phase II of this project.

Proposedorganisational structure

Nexus Secretariat (GIZ, Germany)

for action

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for action

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