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Nexus Blog // Outcomes of the first Nexus Latin America Virtual Forum

The first Nexus Latin America Virtual Forum focused on the question, how the WEF Nexus approach contributes to conflict management within infrastructure projects such as multipurpose dams. Three cases from Chile, Mexico and the Niger River Basin in West Africa were presented by expert panelists and discussed in an interactive format with the online audience.

Nrp article virtual forum 1

On September 5, 2019 the first Nexus Latin America Virtual Forum was organized by the GIZ Programmes Nexus Regional Dialogue Latin America and Nexus Bolivia. It was carried out in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN-ECLAC (or CEPAL for its acronym in Spanish). The Forum was organized in the context of the GIZ GADER-ALC Sectoral Network workstream, a cooperation in agriculture management and rural development within the Latin American region. The purpose of the Workstream is to contribute and establish an exchange amongst experts in the region about intersectoral projects in energy, water and agriculture, with a view towards the 2030 agenda. Through activities such as the virtual forum series, the GIZ Nexus Dialogue Latin America and the GIZ Nexus Programme Bolivia support an interactive online exchange between experts throughout the region.

Background

The Virtual Forum focused on the issues pertaining to multipurpose dams and infrastructure projects, specifically regarding the Nexus contribution to conflict management. It brought together expert panelists from Chile, Mexico and Niger. Approximately 100 people participated in the forum via the web platform, representing 19 countries and over 60 organizations. Each panelist presented their case and participated in the open discussion with questions from the participants. The discussions covered a series of lessons learned and best practices, such as the importance of building trust among stakeholders, accurate resource forecasting, efficiency in irrigation and water usage, the need for updated regulations, participatory priorization, planning, effective communications, and other related issues.

Foro web multipropósitos cepal68

Presentations

Antonio Levy, regional coordinator of the Nexus Dialogue in Latin America, welcomed the audience and introduced the agenda and panelists of the virtual forum.

Mariana Rodriguez from the Global Nexus Secretariat at GIZ shortly introduced the Nexus Regional Dialogue Programme in the beginning of the forum.

o Presentation Nexus Regional Dialogue Programme

In Chile, the presentation focused on how the Nexus approach can contribute to mitigating potential social and environmental conflicts, based on the experience of the Laja river basin. This instance brought together the regional government, three national ministries, the irrigation association, the energy company, and representatives from the tourism sector, all of which worked together to make the best use of the shared resources.

o Presentation Chile (PDF)

The case of Niger pertains to the conflicts surrounding the Fomi Dam and the Niger river basin, which affects 150 million inhabitants in 9 countries, from Cameroon to Guinea, combining energy, agriculture, drinking water, ecosystem management, fishing and transportation concerns at both national and regional levels.

o Presentation Niger River Basin (PDF)

Finally, the case of Mexico focused on the conflicts surrounding the implementation of the El Zapotillo dam, part of the Rio Verde basin, affecting approximately 1.5million inhabitants in the region. The presentation focused on the details regarding the public works required for the project and the conflicts and legal challenges encountered in its implementation.

o Presentation Mexico

Future work

Building on the success of this forum, the second virtual forum with a focus on Solar Powered Irrigation Systems will be carried out end of October.

On October 1st, a regional Nexus forum will be carried out in La Paz, Bolivia, as part of that nation’s 2025 Agenda, focused on public sector planning and related public policies, multipurpose infrastructure projects (such as multipurpose dams), eradication of extreme poverty, and intersectoral coordination. The event will bring together approximately 20 speakers. All sessions will be live-streamed in an interactive manner and can be accessed through the Nexus Resource Platform .

For more information please contact Ignacio Benavides at ignacio.benavides@giz.de, Antonio Levy at antonio.levy@giz.de, or Tina Schmiers at tina.schmiers@giz.de.

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