The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2013 will bring together global leaders in policy, technology and business to discuss the state of the art, develop new ways of thinking and shape the future of renewable energy.

Start of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

The Netherlands contributed to the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week with a pavilion at the International Water Summit (IWS) on 15-17 January 2013.

“Countries in the region must focus on water, energy and food to prepare for the post-oil era, experts said at the International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi.”

As a lead-up to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, January 13-17, Masdar sponsored a blogging contest called “Engage: The Water-Energy Nexus.” The following post was the winner of the contest.

Food security is at the center of the Qatari government’s strategy presented in its “Vision 2030” plan. More than 90% of products eaten by the country’s two million residents (of which only 300,000 are Qataris) depend on imports. Water scarcity is another issue that needs to be resolved. This is why Qatar is building new desalination factories that will run on solar energy.

Water governance and investment will be key topics addressed at the inaugural International Water Summit (IWS), which will take place on 15-17 January 2013, as a part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. “The sessions we have developed for IWS, including interactive voting sessions, will explore, among other issues, the ways political initiative and water governance can lead to mutually beneficial public-private sector synergies, attract investors and stimulate business development in the water industry,” said Peter McConnell, Show Director for the IWS.

Collecting inputs for the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference preparatory process

The question of how to effectively use our water resources has been debated for decades, yet what we need more than ever is direct action at the field level.

A message from Felix Dodds, Executive Director of the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future and International Steering Committee (ISC) Member

Today at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, I had the good fortune of chairing a most interesting workshop on addressing resource scarcity. It was organised by Shell. Over the coming two decades, the growth of population and prosperity will significantly increase the global demand for energy, water and food, perhaps beyond planetary boundaries. This is known as the “stress nexus” and how are we to address it? - by Francis Vorhies

The Water-energy-food nexus (or other permutations) is increasingly finding itself in the public discourse surrounding development and sustainability. It is a concept that is easy to understand on the face of things, yet like a ball of wool unravels itself into a myriad of complex and dynamic relationships. In fact some have long studied some of the components in detail, such as water use for agriculture and use of crops for bioenergy. And yet despite the fact that these three resources are amongst the most important resources for human survival, the attention they have received as a single interdependent issue has been inadequate. – This is of interest to me in particular because my research is based around the water-energy nexus. Indeed, there is an aspect of food/agriculture in there too, which would be more prominent if the UK aimed to source all of its food from the UK … I digress.

The principal challenge of this century, in my view, will be adapting to a life without abundant, cheap fossil fuels. It has been the lifeblood of our society, and turns out to have some really fantastic qualities. The jury is still out as to whether we will develop suitable/affordable replacements. But additional challenges loom in parallel. Water is very likely to be one of them, which is especially pertinent in my region. For true believers in the universality of substitution, let me suggest two things. First, come to terms with the finite compactness of the periodic table. Second, try substituting delicious H2O with H2O2. It has an extra oxygen atom, and we all know that oxygen is a vital requisite for life, so our new product will be super-easy to market. Never-mind the hydrogen peroxide taste, and the death that will surely visit anyone foolish enough to adopt this substitution. Sometimes we’re just stuck without substitutes - by Tom Murphy

Bridging the gap between energy supply and demand and the parallel strains on water resources, should be addressed by approaching the water-energy nexus from both sides of the equation. And it is more than a pricing and cost issue. It’s also about business continuity, brand value, and maintaining social license to operate. We believe that what is needed is a water stewardship strategy that both mitigates risks and identifies opportunities beyond cost considerations. It means safeguarding water and its use for stakeholders over the long term. This may mean sharing water resources and taking other non-traditional approaches for collaboration.

The energy-water nexus – the vital link between energy and water – is shaping up to be one of the most important issues of the 21st century. EarthSky spoke with Dr. Michael Webber, associate director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy in the Jackson School of Geosciences. He explained that it takes energy to use water.