Call for Papers // Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Environmental Sustainability: Choices, Compromises and Priorities

The 2017 Annual Conference of the European Society of International Law (Naples, 7-9 Sep 17) is devoted to "Global Public Goods, Global Commons and Fundamental Values: The Responses of International Law". On behalf of the Coordinating Committee, in this framework, the ESIL Interest Group on International Environmental Law intends to submit an Agora proposal on “Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Environmental Sustainability: Choices, Compromises and Priorities”. The water-energy-food nexus is a theoretical concept describing the mutual interconnections between the complex systems of these resources. Its purpose is to develop solutions mitigating and promoting synergies able to maintain and further elaborate sustainable development. Currently there are numerous challenges this area necessary to face and policymakers all over the world struggle to balance between different priorities such as minimizing the ecological footprint of human activities, satisfying the needs of the constantly growing population, and in order to fulfill Sustainable Development Goals set. While water is a vulnerable and valuable resource in itself, its importance for, and connection with, energy and food security cannot be understated. The over-exploitation of fresh water resources by both the energy and agricultural industry is one example of competing uses. Similarly, energy is needed for water sanitation and farming. Finally, nutrition is vital for livestock breeding, biofuel production and the maintenance of labor. Despite this factual indivisibility, regulatory solutions continue to be isolated and sectorial. Although some of these can be regionally effective, without thoroughly analyzing wider impacts they are likely to be counterproductive with respect to global sustainability.

Eligibility

All Members of the Interest Group on International Environmental Law, the members of other ESIL IGs and also the non-ESIL members (ESIL membership might be required if the abstract is selected) are invited to submit abstracts.

Evaluation criteria

Abstracts will be selected for inclusion in the “International Environmental Law” IG agora proposal at the main conference on the basis of their alignment with the agora description and objectives as well as the overall coherence of the agora. The IG will organize an interest group workshop if the proposal was not accepted or, in case the agora will be accepted and, depending on the time and available resources, an agora and a workshop will be both organized. The submissions will automatically be considered for participation in the separate workshops of the IG International Environmental Law held during the year and at the Annual Conference.

Applications

The following must be submitted to pdfarah@mail.wvu.edu and paolofarah@yahoo.com by 24th January 2017:

• The author’s name and affiliation;
• A 700-word abstract [Word file and PDF]
• The author’s CV, including a list of relevant publications;
• The author’s contact details, including email address and phone number;
• Whether the author is an ESIL member; and
• Whether the abstract should be considered for the ESIL Young Scholar Prize.

Multiple abstracts from the same authors will be considered, but only one can be selected. Co-authored multidisciplinary papers are also welcomed. Submissions may be in either English or French. Applicants will be informed of the selection committee’s decision no later than 28th January 2017. Source: ESIL website