Fostering Innovation at the Water-Energy- Food Nexus

Transcription

1 Regional Consultation on Innovation Strategies for Sustainable Development through Water-Energy-Food Nexus 28-29, June 2017, Bangkok, Thailand Fostering Innovation at the Water-Energy- Food Nexus Challenges and opportunities Satyabrata Sahu, Ph.D. Coordinator Technology Intelligence APCTT-ESCAP

2 Outline 1. SDGs and W-E-F nexus 2. Innovation challenges at W-E-F nexus 3. Innovation foresight for W-E-F research 4. Promoting innovation at the nexus 5. Concluding remarks

3 Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 Targets Seek to eliminate poverty and hunger and provide a life of dignity to all

4 SDG focus on W-E-F End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

5 STI and Global Partnerships SDG 9 and 17 provide the framework for promoting Innovation and Global partnerships Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

6 Key SDG targets for STI intervention APCTT s Capacity Building Activities SDG 2 SDG 6 SDG 7 Safe, nutritious and sufficient food (2.1) Malnutrition (2.2) Agricultural productivity (2.3) Sustainable food production systems; Adaptation to climate change (2.4) Maintain genetic diversity (2.5) Safe and affordable with Affordable, 22 partner reliable institutions and drinking water (6.1) modern energy Sanitation and services (7.1) hygiene (6.2) 2. Bhutan Renewable energy in Water quality (6.3) the global energy Water-use efficiency mix (7.2) (6.4) 5. Islamic Energy Republic efficiency of Iran (7.3) Integrated water 6. Lao Clean PDR energy research resources management and technology (7.A) (6.5) 8. Nepal Infrastructure and Protect and restore upgradation of water ecosystems (6.6) technology (7.B) Capacity-building (6.A)

7 APCTT s Capacity Building Activities Complex interrelationships in W-E-F Nexus The Water-Energy-Food Nexus describes the complex and interrelated nature of the three resources - It takes water to produce energy Energy is used to source, treat, and distribute water Both water and energy are required to produce food.

8 APCTT s Stress Capacity in the Building W-E-F Activities nexus External Population, Development, Environmental / Climate change, Market Inter-sectorial Water - Energy - Food This challenge has created opportunities for innovation, new products and services, expanded industrial capacity, and job creation.

9 Overarching goal of Innovation at the W-E-F nexus APCTT s Capacity Building Activities Catalyze interdisciplinary and convergent research to transform scientific understanding of the W-E-F nexus (integrating all three components rather than addressing them separately), in order to (a) improve system function and management, (b) address system stress, (c) increase resilience, and (d) ensure sustainability.

10 APCTT s Innovation Capacity challenges Building at Activities W-E-F nexus Creating technological innovations at the W-E-F Nexus to provide solutions for cross-cutting issues and challenges Developing methodological and institutional innovations for participatory co-construction, co-validation and dissemination of knowledge appropriate for risk prone, diverse and complex environments, such as arid and semi-arid regions, wetlands, deltas, and mountains. (FAO, 2015)

11 APCTT s Innovation Capacity challenges Building at Activities W-E-F nexus (Cont d) Overcoming Institutional disconnection and imbalances between sectors and different sectorial goals, policies and strategies in terms of resource use efficiency and productivity, planned investments, reforms, and large-scale infrastructures (FAO, 2014) Lack of harmonized nexus database or analytical framework for monitoring or trade-off analyses between the three components. (

12 APCTT s Innovation Capacity challenges Building at Activities W-E-F nexus (Cont d) Developing resources policies and regulations that are often based on social and economic demands and not on scientific evidence. ( Increasing investments in research and innovation at critical nexus ecosystems with due attention to neglected areas Bridging the gaps in science communication strategies

13 APCTT s Capacity Building Activities W-E-F innovation foresight in the context of climate change To identify the : 1. Main signals and trends of technological and societal innovations and possible disruptive events. 2. Emerging priorities for research and innovation and an assessment of their potential to catalyse business opportunities

14 APCTT s Capacity Building Activities Promoting innovation in nexus ecosystems Technology innovations and research programmes to address the nexus stress in an integrated manner Piloting and scaling up of nexus solutions and quantifying the impact Leveraging ICT and emerging technologies such as Renewable Energy and Nanotechnology to foster more efficient and effective use of water and energy for agricultural, residential, and commercial needs Technology incubators and accelerators to specialize in developing technologies to address the W-E-F nexus

15 APCTT s Capacity Building Activities Innovation agents in W-E-F nexus Policies and incentives to promote innovation at the nexus The private sector including multinationals dependent on the water, energy, and food nexus ecosystems. They can act as catalysts for designing, funding, and scaling nexus ecosystems. Scaling up of integrated solutions can involve other stakeholders such as NGOs, foundations, and regional or global banks and financial institutions

16 Concluding remarks Need to identify cross-cutting W-E-F issues encompassing SDGs 2, 6, 7 Key innovation challenges at the nexus are: (1) Inter-sectorial research; (2) lack of methodological and institutional innovations; (3) Institutional disconnection and imbalances; (4) Lack of harmonized policies, databases and analytical framework; (5) Poor investment in research and innovation; (6) Gaps in science communication strategies Research and innovation should focus on specific W-E-F Nexus ecosystems to provide innovative solutions Foresight studies needed to identify signals and trends of innovations and research priorities in Nexus ecosystems

17 Thank You ww.apctt.org facebook.com/unapctt twitter.com/unapctt