South Africa Workshop: Water-Energy-Food Nexus and its Linkages to the Implementation of the SDGs: 21-23 November 2016

The Future Earth Water-Energy- Food Cluster study, the South African Water Research Commission, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal are organising a workshop on the Water-Energy- Food (W-E- F) Nexus. The workshop, entitled “The Water-Energy- Food Nexus and its linkages to the implementation of the SDGs,” will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Hilton, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa from November 21 to 23, 2016.

This technical workshop is the final of four held in different regions of the world in connection with the Future Earth initiative. The event will comprise both a technical workshop (3 days) and dialogue (1.5 days) to address the science-policy interface in the W-E- F Nexus. In addition to addressing W-E- F Nexus issues, the three-day event will specifically emphasise the contributions of the Future Earth W-E- F Cluster study to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the areas of water, energy, and food. Although the SDGs have been formulated as individual goals, they will only be effectively implemented if inter-linkages between the targets and indicator monitoring activities are used as a basis for developing an integrated programme.

The workshop will expand our knowledge base by focusing on the following objectives:

  • Identify the critical issues related to the W-E- F Nexus generally in Africa and particularly in southern Africa.
  • Assess information needs and the potential benefits of Earth observations in the W-E- F Nexus context.
  • Identify governance gaps in addressing W-E- F Nexus issues and requirements for information and strategies to improve the performance of the W-E- F sectors.
  • Assess the role of a W-E- F Nexus approach to support the effective implementation of the SDG’s and the potential of the UN SDG process to support the Nexus.
  • Identify needs and opportunities for capacity building.

Insights from the technical workshop will feed into the science-policy dialogue organised by the Water Research Commission that will take place in Gauteng, South Africa, on November 24-25, 2016.

Participants in our technical workshop are invited to also participate in this second science-policy event. SWFP and Future Earth will each play a lead role in documenting workshop findings and ensuring that the results are integrated into the emerging Future Earth research agenda and the implementation of the W-E- F Nexus and Sustainable Development Knowledge Action Networks.