event 23 Aug 2022

Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme MENA // WEF Nexus and Urban Resilience in the MENA Region

The Royal Scientific Society of Jordan (RSS), on behalf of the Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme in MENA, organized two dialogue events in Tunisia and Lebanon from June to July aimed at empowering local governance structures to lead integrated climate actions at community level.

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Urban Resilience in the MENA Region

The concept of urban resilience has gained momentum worldwide. The concept addresses the challenge urban areas face to deliver basic services in the context of population growth, climate change and resources scarcity.

Many of these challenges either directly or indirectly intersect with the water, energy and food security management. In order to understand a city’s challenges related to WEF security and subsequently identify solutions to meet those challenges, it is important to understand how the different resources of water, energy and food (as well as waste) interrelate and impact each other through everyday practices.

Minaret II Initiative

This is where the Minaret II Initiative comes in. The Minaret II Initiative is implemented by the Royal Scientific Society on behalf of the Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme in the MENA region. The initiative aims at strengthening the climate resilience of municipalities by accompanying target municipalities to carry out baseline assessments related to the WEF securities and climate change impacts and use these to develop sustainable energy and climate action plans (SECAP). The SECAPs will enable target municipalities to leverage much needed funding for integrated climate actions. The Minaret II Initiative is implemented in five municipalities spread over Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan.

Policy dialogues in the MENA Region

Parallel to this, RSS is fostering dialogues between the selected municipalities and national authorities related to water, energy and agriculture and other stakeholders to address the important role. Their direct mandate to serve local communities, puts municipalities in a favorable position to lobby for their communities’ wellbeing when it comes to climate action and sustainable resources management. Municipalities are therefore important partners for national authorities related to the WEF securities to make sure community needs are considered in the policy-making process and in turn to secure local buy-in of policies and plans for their successful implementation.

Participants of the Nexus Policy Dialogue held in Tunisia discussing the concepts of urban resilience and the WEF Nexus

The first two policy dialogues were organized in Tunisia and Lebanon from June to August respectively aimed at empowering local governance structures to lead integrated climate actions at community level. A third dialogue event is planned in Jordan in September.

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