SIDE EVENT on "Water-Energy Nexus Capacity Development: Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches"

Convenor: Cap-Net UNDP; Co-convenors: IIASA and SE4All.

The activities of this side event circle around the inextricable link between water and energy, as it presents an opportunity to better manage two important global resources (and other related resources such as food, land and ecosystems) which are crucial for addressing several important global challenges. Increased global awareness of the linkage between water, energy and other nexus dimensions such as food, ecosystems and climate change has the potential to stimulate and guide integrated planning and implementation of local and international programmes to address several development goals. However, planners and decision-makers are not adequately equipped with the technical, managerial and governance approaches needed to operationalize the interdependencies between water and energy.

Capacity development is required for international organizations, regional and global funding mechanisms, as well as for the public and private sectors, research institutions and local stakeholders to support planning and decision making across various nexus dimensions. In this way, the nexus perspective can be consolidated in development planning to seek integrated solutions that address important global development challenges.

The workshop will provide an international platform to discuss the capacity development needs for operationalizing the water-energy nexus and seek ways that will enable the global community to tap more effectively into nexus capacity development opportunities around the world.

The side event will be organized and lead by Dr. Paul T. Yillia, research scholar at IIASA and consultant at Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) and Dr. Piotr Magnuszewski research scholar at IIASA and co-founder and managing director of the ISIS Academy/Centre for Systems Solutions.

By organizing an interactive “Needs assessment workshop session” IIASA aims at providing an international platform to discuss the capacity development needs for operationalizing the water-energy nexus and explore opportunities that will enable the global community to tap more directly and effectively into capacity development opportunities around the world.

Specifically, the side event will serve as an exploratory event to seek:

1. Potential for partnership on capacity developing on the nexus with capacity building institutions and networks for joint capacity development activities;
2. Innovative ways to improve nexus knowledge and strengthen capacity development, skills transfer and knowledge-sharing; ways to facilitate knowledge exchange across various nexus dimensions and provide policy guidance and technical tools and materials for integrated planning and implementation; use of ICTs for learning, competence building and mobilizing local knowledge;
3. Interdisciplinary collaboration between the energy and water sectors and promoting exchange;
4. Developing innovative technical tools and approaches and policy-oriented material and guidance;
5. Developing and delivering tailored capacity building programmes for policy makers and practitioners working in water, food, energy and environmental sectors;
6. Connecting actors working in different sectors and builds evidence-based platforms for them to exchange experiences, knowledge and perspectives on water, energy and food issues at the appropriate scale.
7. tools to plan and manage these two critical resources together
   
   

Find here further detailed information on the side event:
http://programme.worldwaterweek.org/event/waterenergy-nexus-capacity-3352

MINISTERIAL PANEL SEMINAR on "Framing the Water-Energy Nexus within the Post-2015 Development Agenda"

Convenor: SE4All, IIASA and SIWI

This seminar will explore the role of energy and water for poverty reduction through novel approaches for green and inclusive growth; it will propose new ways to raise the profile of energy and water in the post-2015 development agenda, including advocating for an SDG on water, and finally it will suggest relevant energy and water indicators to monitor progress on SDGs.

The demand for water resources, energy and food is increasing dramatically. Global energy and water security remains far from being achieved. An estimated 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity and some 800 million get their water from unimproved sources. Some 2.5 billion people do not use an improved sanitation facility, and over 800 million are undernourished. Poor and marginalised people are often trapped in poverty and deprived of their human rights, as basic services are not available.

Allocating energy, water and food equitably and efficiently, within the existing ecological constraints, needs to be central in the post-2015 development agenda. In order to secure food, energy, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for all, increase water productivity and resilience to water related disasters, a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water is key. In addition, water needs to be integrated into all relevant SDGs, such as in possible goals on energy and food.

Dr. Paul T. Yillia, research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and consultant at Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) has been invited to give a talk during the seminar focusing on the question of fighting poverty post-2015 by securing access to energy, food and water. The talk is based on an abstract

 titled “Framing the Water-Energy Nexus within the Post-2015 Development Agenda to Address Global Development Challenges” (2014, Yillia, Wiberg, Gomez-Echeverri,Yumkella).

Abstract Summary:

At the core of on-going discussions on the post-2015 development agenda is access to water and energy, two intertwined resources that are crucial for addressing global development challenges like poverty, hunger, health and climate change. The need to carefully manage water and energy in an integrated way has never been this urgent and important as world leaders seek new approaches and institutional arrangements for proper policy development and sound decision-making. This article frames the water-energy nexus within the post-2015 development agenda as a crucial management instrument to improve coordination across different sectors in search of synergy and opportunities.

The full abstract can be downloaded here.

Find here further detailed information on the seminar: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/abstracts

WORKSHOP (morning and afternoon session) on “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy”

Convenor: SIWI; Co-convenors: WB, SE4All, IIASA and IRENA

This workshop will focus on examples of innovative thinking, successful cases and avoided pitfalls cross-cutting the energy and water sectors. Areas to be addressed include: water and energy footprints and mismatched accounting; iconic technologies of energy production and water purification (hydropower, shale gas, biofuels, nuclear energy, desalination, wastewater) with entwined conflicts; policy and management bridges between the two sectors; and sustainable ways forward.

The energy and water sectors are facing mutual limitations due to natural as well as rapid technological, developmental and socio-economic changes. However, their drivers are addressed in silos - water only as a resource for energy production or energy production's adverse effects on water resources. Missing is an adequate appreciation of their synergistic impacts, of how policies and practices in both areas can deny or facilitate their sustainable management. Energy and water technologies already facing such problems of inter-limitations need to share their concerns and celebrated cases on a common platform. A reciprocal encounter of shared learning dialogue between energy and water managers and researchers should highlight policy lessons and generate insights on how coherence can be achieved in practice. They would be of immense value to the North and South, to governments and communities in varied socio-ecological settings striving towards a sustainable future.

Through its work and the intertwined activities with the closely related initiative SE4All, the UN Secretary General’s initiative on sustainable energy for all by 2030, IIASA´s water program is involved in and contributing actively to the workshop on “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy” by discussing innovative thinking, successful cases, and avoided pitfalls across the water-energy nexus.

Dr. David Wiberg, Acting Director of the Water Program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) will introduce the WFaS Initiative and moderate a session on Examples and Solutions during this workshop.

Find here further detailed information on the workshop

WORKSHOP on Valuation, Economics and Finance

Convenor: Stockholm International Water Institute
Co-convenor(s): Alstom; Rockefeller Foundation and The World Bank Group

This workshop will focus on the issue that energy utilities often face shut-downs for days at a time due to scarcity of water, low flows and/or increasing water temperatures. Hence, there is a strong business case to integrate the planning of energy and water, by designing and implementing joint investments. While integrated planning requires that the energy sector incorporate complex hydrological analyses into its design and operational decisions, methodologies are increasingly becoming available and applied for this purpose.

There is also a solid case that integrating energy and water can generate not only improved economic performance, but also gains in social and environmental outcomes  - generating benefits to society by increasing welfare and equity, as well as reducing environmental impacts. For water and energy policy makers, a quantification of social and environmental costs of energy development is crucial in order to address the inherent trade-offs in the sustainable development equation. The business community is paying increasing attention to valuation of energy and water resources which goes beyond pricing as it promotes good stewardship and leads to improved efficiency. Internalizing valuation can improve the business operations, limit wasteful practices and inform management decisions.

Dr. Sylvain Leduc, research scholar at IIASA, will give a talk during the “Valuation, Economics, and Finance” workshop on “Assessing Hydropower in Ecosystem Services Conservation Scenarios – A Case Study in the Alpine Region”.

Find here further detailed information on the workshop.

During World Water Week 2014, Prof. Grey will be strongly committed to meetings and discussions coordinated through the Global Water Partnership (OECD), particularly within the Global Dialogue on Water Security and Economic Growth, which he co-chairs, and as program leader he will represent and discuss IIASA´s WFaS initiative during several occasions at World Water Week 2014. Prof. Grey is the program leader of IIASA´s Water Futures and Solutions Initiative.

During World Water Week 2014, Mr. Gomez-Echeverri will be representing IIASA and SE4All representing the WFaS initiative at various other occasions and coordinating various meetings including partners and national donor agencies to discuss the future of IIASA´s WFaS initiative. Mr. Gomez-Echeverri is the senior special advisor to Director General of IIASA and the Executive Office of the UN Secretary General on the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL).

Dr. David Wiberg will present the achievements, results and future endeavors of IIASA´s flagship initiative, the IIASA´s WFaS initiative at World Water Week 2014 in Stockholm. He is actively involved in the preparations and implementation of workshops, side events, seminars and talks at the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm where IIASA plays a role, and will moderate a discussion on examples and solutions for the workshop titled “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy”. Furthermore Dr. Wiberg will meet with UN Water Partners during several meetings taking place in Stockholm in preparation of World Water Week 2014.

Particularly he will be coordinating the side event focusing on “Water-Energy Nexus Capacity Development: Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches”, by giving a talk on his submitted abstract titled “Framing the Water-Energy Nexus within the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Scenarios, Targets, Indicators and Data Need” and by representing IIASA at the thematic workshop on “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy”.

Dr. Magnuszewski will contribute with his vast experience in interactive workshop design, particularly to the IIASA side-Event aiming at capacity development titled “Water-Energy Nexus Capacity Development: Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches”.

Dr. Leduc will give a talk on his sepected abstract titled “Assessing Hydropower in Ecosystem Services Conservation Scenarios – A Case Study in the Alpine Region” during the “Valuation, Economics, and Finance” workshop.

The presentation will be live-streamed here.