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18 Jun 12

Side Event at Rio+20

Securing Food, Water and Energy in the World’s Most Valued Ecoregions

This event will profile some of the world’s most innovative “natural capital partnerships” implementing integrated approaches toward the transition to green growth and green economies today. It will promote a south-south knowledge exchange and commitments from Mexico, the Coastal Eastern Africa region and Asia’s Greater Mekong Subregion.

Natural ecosystems provide economically valuable services vital to human welfare such as food, water, energy, and carbon sequestration. In many of the world’s ecoregions, declines in natural capital continue, causing negative impacts that contribute to increase poverty levels. Solutions are emerging, however. Across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, models for inclusive green growth are evolving through a range of integrated strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. This event will provide a forum for governments on the cutting edge of green economy innovations to profile integrated and collaborative approaches that enhance freshwater, forest, agricultural, and marine resources – the vital building blocks of a sustainable future.

Programme

Potential Contribution to the outcome of UNSCD/Rio +20

Sustainable development is a holistic approach centered on integration and balanced consideration of social, economic and environmental goals and objectives at all levels of both public and private decision-making. It also emphasizes intra- and inter-generational equity. This event will highlight and explore, through a south-south dialogue, the benefits and complexities of taking a holistic, integrated and inclusive approach to addressing the intersection between economies and the environment in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Thematic Focus:
Integrated approaches to developing green economies in critical ecosystems

Global economic and social development depends on the continued productivity of inter-connected ecological systems. Intact, healthy and diverse natural ecosystems provide water, energy, food, and livelihoods to human populations, especially the rural poor who continue to rely on direct access to natural resources. These inter-connected ecosystems also provide resilience against the increasingly evident and powerful impacts of climate change.

The regional development banks and WWF are working with partners in nations developing ground-breaking initiatives to safeguard national, regional and globally strategic natural assets? the essential building blocks of current and future economies. These collaborative initiatives highlight the importance of developing partnerships and integrated approaches to building the green economies of tomorrow while addressing the complex challenges of today. They demonstrate the kind of leadership and commitment to action on the ground that will inspire others around the world seeking effective pathways toward sustainable development.

Format and Speakers

Opening Remarks:
Enhancing natural capital and improving human welfare? why do ecosystems matter for sustainable development?
Speaker: Yolanda Kakabadse, President, WWF International

Case 1:
State-of-the-Art Water Resource and Environmental Management in Mexico
Speaker: Ing. José Luis Luege Tamargo, Director General, CONAGUA, Mexico

Mexico’s National Water Commission (CONAGUA), the Inter-America Development Bank and WWF have established a water reserves initiative in Mexico for environmental security. It is designed to maintain ecosystem functions across the nation that will safeguard adequate reserves for future development. Establishing a water sources protection framework based on a water reserves strategy is a key action in the implementation of Mexico’s long-term sustainable and adaptive water policy vision recently launched in their “Water Agenda 2030”.

Case 2:
Regional Cooperation towards a Poverty-free and Ecologically Rich Greater Mekong Subregion
Speaker: Vice Minister Bui Cach Tuyen, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Development Program was recently renewed at a regional Leaders’ Summit of the six nations of the Mekong River basin (Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam). This comprehensive and integrated strategic framework lays the foundation for a green economy across the sub-region. The Vice Minister will highlight the programme’s advances toward a green economy that build on the achievements and challenges of 20 years of regional cooperation for sustainable development in one the most ecologically rich regions in the world.

Case 3:
Securing Marine and Forest Resources across Three Coastal Nations of Eastern Africa
Speakers:

Her Excellency, Alcinda de Abreu, Minister of Coordination of Environmental Affairs, Mozambique
Her Excellency, Terezya P.L. Huvisa, Minister of State for Environment, Vice-President?s Office, Tanzania
Mr. Ali Mohamed, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Kenya (tbc)

Three nations of Coastal Eastern Africa; Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania, have initiated a process of integration and collaboration at the national and transboundary levels that will allow them to realize shared ambitions for green economies within the context of inclusive and sustainable economic development founded on the efficient management of their rich and productive natural capital.

Panel Discussion:
What lessons can we learn from these initiatives to promote transitions to green economies within the context of sustainable development? What are the trends and opportunities for supporting the development of green economies today?

The speakers will be joined by the esteemed panelists from partner institutions:

Mr. Javed Mir, Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division, Asian Development Bank
Mr. Walter Vergara, Unit Chief, Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Unit, Infrastructure and Environment Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
Dr. Abdirahman Beileh, Acting Director, Department of Agriculture and Agro-Industries, African Development Bank
Ministry of Environment Protection, People’s Republic of China (invited)
Global Environment Facility (invited)

www.uncsd2012.org/ ...

Institutions

People

Regional

Translating Nexus Research into Nexus Policy-making

The SEI’s work on the water, energy and food security nexus – an interview with Holger Hoff

28 Jun 12

“The Nexus is already at the forefront of political and scientific debate.”

A voice from the ground, Edward Byers, PhD student from Newcastle/UK, gives his view of the NEXUS event at the German Pavilion in Rio.

23 May 12

World Bank suggests a “set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) for energy, food, and water”

World Bank Group identifies six key issues and key messages for Rio+20

NEXUS in the Media

13 Aug 12

The Guardian

To solve climate change, let’s move beyond climate change

Water, energy, food - these three issues are the essential holy trinity of environmental sustainability. They are maddeningly intertwined and their effect reaches everyone – private, public, and social sectors alike. Because everyone is affected by each of these issues, and because they are so intertwined, everyone needs to be at the table. No one entity, no matter how large, can save us from ourselves.

15 May 12

Royal Science (United Kingdom)

Science academies call for action on global challenges

National science academies of 15 countries issued joint statements today calling on world leaders about to meet at the upcoming G8 Summit and other international gatherings this year to give greater consideration to the vital role science and technology could play in addressing some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.

29 May 12

Huffington Post

The Water-Energy-Food Security Challenge: America As The Global Savior?

Can the world support the aspirations for food and energy of the 7 billion people that now inhabit it? Will we meet the needs of the additional 2 billion people that we expect will be here by 2050? More than ever, the answers to these questions depend on how wisely we use the world’s fresh water resources — to both meet our own needs and to sustain the basic water requirements of all life that inhabits our blue planet.

08 Jun 12

Europe’s World

Europe needs policies to decouple economic growth from water and energy consumption

What are the EU’s policy options? In my view, it’s a matter of getting the balance right between a range of long-term, location-specific policies that take a holistic approach to promoting efficiency and penalising waste. These policies could include co-operation at the level of watersheds, integrated water planning and management, and applying a lifecycle perspective to the energy production chain. Inter-ministerial task-forces could co-ordinate different policy objectives, while valuing and paying for water ecosystem services, and ending perverse subsidies could also be part of the mix.

22 Aug 12

SIWI

Feeding a Thirsty World

The World Water Week 2012 in Stockholm will zoom in on food security and the global water situation. This is warranted not least from the perspective of the increasing imbalances in global food security. In this article, Dr. Anders Jägerskog sums up the thrust of a report he edited on this topic, which is meant to provide input for the Week’s deliberations.

Partners