Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme // Becoming Water-Energy-Food Nexus Ambassadors! “Training of Trainers” in the MENA, Niger Basin and Latin America & Caribbean Regions

An overview of the “Training of Trainers”

The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus approach promotes a holistic and integrated way of thinking and acting to ensure inclusive water, energy and food security in a sustainable way. The Nexus Regional Dialogues (NRD) Programme aims to institutionalise this approach in national and regional governance structures and investment decisions, as well as to engage public and private investors in Nexus projects. Knowledge dissemination and competence development are crucial elements of the programme’s work.

The WEF Nexus “Training of Trainers” (ToT) took place in three of the Programme’s target regions with participants ranging from practitioners to decision makers, project planners, civil society and academics. Each of the 3-day workshops were centered around the WEF Nexus Training Material (available in French/English/Spanish) including an introduction to the WEF Nexus, processes and guidelines for cross-sector policy making and project design as well as case studies specific to each of the training regions. By the end of this very hands-on training and with new knowledge of the WEF Nexus, participants are encouraged to become “Nexus Ambassadors”.

Training in the Niger Basin

The Niger Basin ToT was hosted in Niamey, Niger by Robert Kranefeld, regional coordinator of the NRD, and Dr. Moussa Ibrahim, GIZ Technical Advisor (Niger), in late April 2022 with a total of 17 representatives from Niger, Burkina Faso, and Benin. The workshop began with the Nexus Game, a board game focused on transboundary resource availability and usage among up-stream and down-stream countries to help visualise the complexity and interconnectedness of decisions among the parties.

Participants were able to experience different roles and negotiate WEF Nexus security using fictional scenarios based on the catchment area of the Niger River – shared by nine West African countries. The game helps illustrate how different water management policies can lead to the sustainable development of society in harmony with nature. The objective insights gained paved the way for the participants to engage with the theoretical Nexus approach training the following two days.

Training in Latin America and the Caribbean

This virtual 4-day workshop took place in late May 2022, hosted by Antonio Levy, Regional coordinator of the NRD, and Julia Rohe-Frydrych (Adelphi, Berlin). The participants in attendance - from Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Colombia – took part in a series of presentations, exercises, and discussions. The broad coverage of countries encouraged fruitful discussions through which everyone was able to bring in knowledge and contribute with project experiences. Diverse challenges and opportunities of potential WEF Nexus application were highlighted, contributing to the learning outcomes of the interdisciplinary group.

“This workshop has really helped me to think about how to approach potential donors, and the importance of the Nexus on current issues (global food and financial crisis).” (Participant from LAC ToT)

Training in the MENA region

The last of the WEF Nexus ToT took place in the MENA region, in Amman, Jordan from May 22-24. The event was hosted by Irene Sander, Regional coordinator of the NRD MENA and head of the Global Nexus Secretariat; Stephanie Bilgram, Human Capacity Development Advisor to the Global Nexus Secretariat as well as Annika Kramer, Head of the Water Programme of Adelphi. The 20 participants represented the water, energy and agricultural sectors working in academic and research institutions, project implementing agencies as well as public authorities in Jordan, Egypt and United Arab Emirates. Participation from higher-education institutions was intended to extend the outreach of the WEF Nexus Training Material within academia. The training will also be used in the ongoing policy dialogues held within the MENA region.

The diversity of the group and their differing backgrounds encouraged lively discussions, identifying potential entry points for the Nexus and shortcomings in current sectoral policies. The Nexus Game was met with enthusiasm, participants appreciated the visual, graphic and fun experience to highlight how decisions in one sector can cause a ripple effect on the other sectors including the environment. Participant’s received two copies of the game as plans were discussed to use them in the context of the policy dialogues that are planned for the different NRD MENA activities. There was also consensus that the chapter on ‘access to finance’ provided a lot of new and very relevant input, which will be needed as the different NRD MENA work streams proceed with their activities including dialogues with financiers to enable the bigger uptake of Nexus technologies and solutions in the region.

Overall, within the three regions, the ToT was met with enthusiasm from participants, there was a very high engagement by all in discussions, exercises and the Nexus Game. The participants shared openly their experiences with intersectoral coordination and collaboration within their context, which enhanced mutual learning within the group. The training materials and game are made available online to facilitate further training.

Follow up on the Nexus Regional Dialogues here:

• The Nexus Regional Dialogue in the Niger Basin | Nexus - The Water, Energy & Food Security Resource Platform (water-energy-food.org)
• Nexus Regional Dialogue in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) | Nexus - The Water, Energy & Food Security Resource Platform (water-energy-food.org)
• Nexus Regional Dialogue in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) | Nexus - The Water, Energy & Food Security Resource Platform (water-energy-food.org)

FREE Nexus Materials available for download:

WEF Nexus Training Materials (available in FR/EN/SP)

Nexus Game (available in FR/EN/SP)

To learn more about the training or for any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.