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 NewsNexus Blog // Reunión virtual de expertos sobre políticas del Nexo Agua-Alimentos-Energía-Ecosistemas y proyectos de relevancia transfronteriza en la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC)
La Comisión Económica de las Naciones Unidas para Europa (CEPE), la Comisión Económica de las Naciones Unidas para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL)…
Nexus Blog // Virtual meeting of experts on policies of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus and projects of transboundary relevance in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the…
Call 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…
Recent Resources
Show All ResourcesPublication // Peri-urban territories and WEF nexus: the challenges of Brazilian agrarian reform areas for social justice
By Thainara Granero de Melo, Bruno Lacerra de Souza and Rosemeire Aparecida Scopinho. Drawing on the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus’ critical and…
Publication // Water-energy-food security: A Nexus perspective of the current situation in Latin America and the Caribbean
By Jürgen Mahlknecht, Ramon Gonzalez-Bravo and Frank J. Loge. In this literature and data analysis, the authors examined the baseline and trends of…
Fact 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…