GIZ hosted the EDD Lab debate Ensuring policy coherence between interconnected Sustainable Development Goals. The key-questions were: How can dependencies between different SDG-goals and indicators be addressed? Which contribution can be made by the Nexus approach to achieve better coherence?
The moderator Ursula Eid, former chair of UN Secretary Generals' Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and Nexus advocate since 2011, challenged the panelists with the question how to overcome “silo thinking”.
Daniela Krahl, BMZ Germany, pointed out that the Paris Agreement at COP 21 is a great opportunity to address the issues. Climate Change commitments are the main entry point for the Nexus. Adaptation to climate change and mitigation can be linked through it. Water as a key adaptation agent links up with energy as key mitigation agent and vice versa.
Anton Mair, from the Austrian Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs stated that the Nexus has to be anchored in the national development strategies to be effective.
From the audience Paul Yilla, SE4All, stressed that vertical integration over different administrational levels is as important as horizontal cross sector integration.
Isabel Studer, AMECXID, and Paolo Ciccarelli, EU-DEVCO, emphasised that a fully integral approach for the SDG is neither feasible nor implementable. Dependent on site and country characteristics different thematic foci should be set. This could imply the development of context specific indicators that are not transferable.
The EU and Germany have taken a major initiative in promoting the Water-Energy-Food-Nexus with the Nexus Dialogue Programme Phase I. It builds on 15 years of experience of international dialogue on addressing water, energy and food security challenges. The programme supports Nexus Dialogues at the regional level which are implemented by regional organisations. Furthermore it enhances cooperation between scientists, politicians and implementing partners worldwide. The relaunch of the Nexus Resource Platform is an important step. It features news, publications and event announcements, as well as regional contributions from the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.
With more than the foreseen 70 participants the Lab debate was a success at the EDD16.