The Blue Peace Middle East WEFE Nexus Programme aims to contribute to greater water, energy and food securaity and more resilient ecosystems in the Middle East.
The programme is being implemented under INWRDAM’s WEFE Nexus Hub and contributes to a larger regional hub for knowledge exchange and the development of WEFE Nexus projects on the ground.
Blue Peace ME’s WEFE Nexus activities focus on three areas:
- - Research: Contributing to a regional baseline study that is being jointly carried out by INWRDAM and the Water Diplomacy Center. The study aims to map the current state of WEFE Nexus knowledge and practice, identifying capacities, gaps and potential collaboration opportunities in the region.
- - Community of Practice: Fostering a WEFE Nexus community of practice by publicising research results and organising WEFE Nexus events (panel discussions, symposia, workshops) for practitioners, academics, decision makers, NGOs and international donors to encourage regional and cross-sectoral dialogue.
- - Pilot Projects: Developing and implementing scalable and replicable regional WEFE Nexus pilot projects based on the outcomes of research and studies. These projects are designed to demonstrate, initially on a small scale, the interdependence of water, food, energy and ecosystem resources and enhance cooperation and trust between countries.
What is the WEFE Nexus Approach?
The WEFE Nexus approach acknowledges that the water, food, and energy sectors are inextricably linked. Choices about how we manage water, energy and land may have implications for other sectors, but also for ecosystems, biodiversity, livelihoods and the economy.
Decisions in one policy area can present difficult trade-offs and create unintended consequences in another.
To produce food, one needs water.
Overpumping of groundwater leads to depletion of aquifers, which in turn has serious consequences for ecosystems.
To pump groundwater, one needs energy.
Most energy production causes release of CO, which also damages ecosystems.
One of the ways of meeting growing demand for water is to use treated wastewater
But water treatment requires energy which not only affects ecosystems but also requires energy…
… and so on. Applying the WEFE Nexus approach to such questions can help improve regional water, food and energy security, as well as socio-economic development, and, ultimately stability and peace.