Understanding the nexus in the MENA region

Transcription

1 Understanding the nexus in the MENA region Holger Hoff Stockholm Environment Institute Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Beirut, 22 January 2013

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3 Why a nexus approach? Resource squeeze increasing demand overexploita8on degrada8on climate change - > business as usual is not an op8on need for innova8ons to: increase resource use efficiencies reduce environmental pressures and support a green economy

4 What is a nexus approach? General principles: genera8ng synergies, reducing nega8ve externali8es, nego8a8ng tradeoffs, and strengthening resilience robust adapta8on, transforma8on What s new? - integrated water resource management (IWRM) - integrated coastal zone management - landscape approach - ecosystem based approach - mul8- func8onal systems - etc. The nexus approach doesn t start from one par8cular sector, but provides a level playing field and plaoorm across sectors

5 building resilience water Nexus scheme a nexus approach for reducing nega8ve externali8es pollu8on flooding water storage import dependency CO 2 emissions & genera8ng co- benefits water, energy & food security energy bioenergy solar desal land erosion, biodiversity loss carbon storage

6 Nexus implementation building blocks 1) nexus baseline assessment: data harmoniza8on, compila8on, and exchange across sectors 2) integrated (par8cipatory) scenario analysis: nexus tools 3) economic cost- benefits analysis addi8onal transac8on costs vs. efficiency gains & economic incen8ves e.g. REDD+, PES 4) communica8on across sectors, e.g. via nexus plaoorm 5) strengthening bridging ins8tu8ons e.g. River Basin Authority, inter- ministerial commiaee. 6) making a case for implementa8on

7 Nexus tools demonstra8ng win- win opportuni8es / benefits / tradeoffs across sectors example: Blue Nile / Lake Tana nexus assessment food produc8on energy genera8on lake level discharge reduc8on

8 Nexus tools used in Na8onal Communica8ons to UNFCCC used in Na8onal Water Sector Strategy

9 How to apply the nexus concept? e.g. soil and water conserva8on or conserva8on agriculture for improved soil water produc8vity, reduced irriga8on demand, climate mi8ga8on / adapta8on / resilience climate- safe and water- smart land use (and urban) planning accoun8ng for change in precipita8on, sea level rise etc. adding energy to the equa8on: e.g. improving energy efficiency in agriculture (pumping) moving towards renewable energy energy recovery from wastewater treatment seeing is believing a nexus case study at the farm level

10 A nexus case study from Jordan Solar energy farming in the Azraq Basin problem: rapid aquifer deple8on for irriga8on and urban demands solar farming (photovoltaics) as income alterna8ve for local farmers reducing water demand AND fossil fuel demand for pumping climate change mi8ga8on / adapta8on / increased drought resilience par8cipatory process through the Highland Water Forum ACCWaM

11 Storage a nexus solution (?) Water storage Energy storage Food storage bridging spa8o- temporal variability: seasonal precipita8on (and quick runoff) variability in wind, solar insola8on, hydropower or popula8on concentra8ons

12 Water storage a wide spectrum McCartney 2010

13 Storage a nexus solution (?) improved soil water storage, reduced irriga8on demand, and co- benefits in land produc8vity mul8- func8onal reservoirs for hydropower and irriga8on hill water storage allowing gravity water feeding > reduced energy demand groundwater storage possibly also for reducing seawater intrusion and subsequent loss of agricultural produc8vity

14 Lebanon is still in a relatively good position (in MENA) forest cover. Sivakumar et al. 2013

15 Lebanon is still in a relatively good position (in MENA) poverty. Economic Water ProducHvity, World Bank 2011

16 Lebanon is still in a relatively good position (in MENA) use that for pro-actively addressing critical trends, as an alternative to more costly re-active or emergeny measures start from win-wins (e.g. wastewater treatment and energy recovery) search for innovations (e.g. solar farming, solar desalination) strengthen diversity (e.g. in storage) build on existing initiatives and tools (e.g. Strategic Env. Asssessments) coordinate across sectors and promote bridging institutions (e.g. CCCU) use and add value to opportunities ( mainstreaming ) integrate science (e.g. LARI, CNRS)