Meeting Nexus Objectives through Collaboration

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Meeting Nexus Objectives through Collaboration

Dr. Nathanial MatthewsResearch Coordinator

Water Land and Ecosystems

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

A nexus…what does it mean?

nexus [ˈnɛksəs] n pl nexus

1. a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series; link; bond

2. a connected group or series [from Latin: a binding together, from nectere to bind]

Interdependencies, choke points….and trade-offs

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

• Water, energy and food are inextricably linked, but there awareness and acknowledgement of this remains low

• New pressures are affecting the availability and use of all three.

• Solutions in one area often negatively impact other areas: nexus connections, interdependencies and trade-offs need to be considered

The Basic Messages

Water

FoodEnergy

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Water

Climate Change

Energy

FoodWater

EnergyFood

The Nexus Can Be Expanded Again…

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Water

Food

LandEnergy

Climate Change

Water

Food

Energy

Climate Change

Water

EnergyClimate Change

And Again…

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

And Again…

Water

Food

Land

Energy

Climate Change

Trade Water

Food

LandEnergy

Climate Change

Water

Food

Energy

Climate Change

Water

EnergyClimate Change

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Water

Food

Land

EnergyClimate Change

Trade

Finance Water

Food

Land

Energy

Climate Change

TradeWater

Food

LandEnergy

Climate Change

Water

Food

Energy

Climate Change

Water

Energy

Climate Change

And Again!

Increased demand 40% by 2030 (IEA)

Energy

Water Increased demand

30% by 2030

(IFPRI)

FoodIncreased demand

40% by 2030

(FAO)

Climate Change

1. Increasing population

2. Increasing levels of urbanisation

3. The rightful goal to alleviate poverty

4. Climate Change

Global Transportation System | Cities are yellow ; roads are green ; ships are blue ; airlines are white

The Anthropocene

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

The Nexus and Collaboration

By its very nature the Nexus is about collaboration and its complexity demands it!

Collaboration helps to:• Foster innovation• Support the development of human capital• Create more appropriate and effective outputs• Build enhanced legitimacy and creditability

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Challenges of Collaboration within the Nexus

Within the Nexus, just as IWRM, meaningful collaboration amongst all stakeholders is important, but fraught with difficulties (i.e. time consuming, expensive, difficult to control)• Framing of messages and approaches is key:

– Ecosystem services based approach = Sustainable Intensification

• A recognition that engaging the private sector is vital, but very little idea how to do it.

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Challenges of Collaboration within the Nexus

• A need to consider where might our agendas, as development practitioners and researchers conflict with our collaborators.

• Requires a recognition of:– the limits of good intentions – the insufficiency of relying on personal relationships – the political and economic realities that frame collaboration

Creating effective collaboration is more than just bringing people together. It requires carefully planning, clear expectations, resources and a commitment by all parties.

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Water Policy Research Program designed to build on

previous work.

Established in 2000 as a co-equal partnership.

Key objective to focus on practical policy issues in a

problem solving framework.

Works with a diverse set of nearly 400 partners.

Nexus Collaboration in Practice IWMI-TATA

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Measures of Success: Science: More than 100 research papers, over 18 books, 35

Policy Briefs and 100 ITP Research Highlights.

Capacity: 73 Young Researchers, 15 (PhD students), 150 student interns from India being placed in universities overseas.

In 2014, ITP was selected for UN-Water Award for its work on energy-irrigation nexus.

Nexus Collaboration in Practice IWMI-TATA

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Policy: 2003 - Government of Gujarat implemented the US $

250 million Jyotigram scheme which improved rural quality of life, capped groundwater draft and improved finances of electricity utilities.

2007 - India's finance minister launched a US $ 450 million National Dugwell Recharge Scheme.

2012 - India's 12th Five Year Plan included a US $ 1.2 billion National Irrigation Management Fund (NIMF) recommended by ITP.

Nexus Collaboration in Practice IWMI-TATA

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Water, Land and Ecosystem Nexus Collaboration in Practice 2014-2016

1. WLE Focal Regions: open and competitive calls for significant integrated research funding with a minimum of three partners per component and 40% of funding going to national and regional organizations.

http://wle.cgiar.org/2. WLE Innovation Fund: funding

innovative and collaborative curiosity driven research across multiple scales.

Uniting agriculture and nature for poverty reduction

Concluding Comments

By its very nature the Nexus is about collaboration and its complexity demands it!

Creating effective collaboration is more than just bringing people together. It requires carefully planning, clear expectations, resources and a commitment by all parties. Agriculture and Ecosystems Blog – a discussion space for collaboration and debate on the future of food systems http://wle.cgiar.org/blogs

Thank You