Latin America and the Caribbean
50 million people currently do not have adequate access to food, despite playing a key role in meeting the growing international food demand. The region contains over 41% of the global freshwater resources, however 36 million inhabitants do not have access to an improved water source, as inequality in water accessibility and availability remains a problem. The region strongly depends on hydropower for energy production, which is responsible for 65% of the electricity generated. This however raises conflicts with other water users, such as the mining and agricultural sector. In order to overcome resource conflicts in LAC, it is necessary to understand the interconnections -synergies, conflicts and compensations- between water, energy and food.
Different intervention areas between water, energy and food as of priority interest and concern for LAC, are:
• hydroelectric generation
• mining and oil
• expansion and modernisation of irrigation with Solar-powered irrigation systems
• overexploitation of aquifers,
• services of potable water and sanitation in cities (Urban nexus),
• and biofuels.
The Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme works in close cooperation with several major stakeholders in the region such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) to raise Nexus issues up to high-level regional policy discourses, to support the identification of synergies within the WEF Nexus, as well as to support the recommendation of policies for strengthening the management of natural resources.
Recent News
Show All NewsCall for Tenders // Funding for Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) for data collection on energy access, WASH, food security in rural areas
The Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) invites MFIs, cooperatives, NGOs, energy and water suppliers, and similar organizations in…
Vacancy // National Project Coordinator Addressing Water-Energy nexus - Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis
The FAO Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean (SLC) is recruiting National Project Coordinators to coordinate the implementation of the sub-project…
Nexus Blog // Penn State and UTADEO faculty partner to support rural development in Colombia
Faculty from Penn State and Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano (UTADEO), in Bogotá, Colombia, are partnering on three research projects funded by the…
Recent Resources
Show All ResourcesFact Sheet // Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme Phase II
The Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme Phase II (2020-2023), funded by the EU and BMZ, aims to mainstream WEF Nexus approaches through increased…
Publicación // Guía metodológica: diseño de acciones con enfoque del Nexo entre agua, energía y alimentación para países de América Latina y el Caribe
By Lisbeth Naranjo and Bárbara A. Willaarts. Esta Guía Metodológica presenta la aplicación práctica del enfoque del “Nexo entre Agua, Energía y…
Online Event // Conversations for Inspiration: The Water, Energy Food Nexus
The session "Leverage to achieve sustainable development" is part of a series of online events titled “Conversations for Inspiration” organized by…