International Conference on Water-Food-Energy Nexus in Drylands: Bridging Science and Policy
The OCP Policy Center in partnership with the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), King’s College London and Texas A&M University is holding a conference about The Water-Food-Energy Nexus in Drylands on June 11-13. The conference in Rabat gathers high-level international experts to discuss the impacts of climate change and water scarcity and potential solutions in the fields of agriculture, water management, agro-business and energy.
Approximately two billion people live in arid countries. One third of the global population will be most affected by water scarcity and climate change. Efficient management of water resources for food and energy production is a developmental challenge that requires holistic approaches. The water-food-energy nexus highlights that food, water and energy security are inextricably linked and that any decision in one of the three sectors has consequences for the other. Nowhere else this nexus is as evident as in global dry lands. Energy will be required to pump, treat and desalinate water for domestic and agricultural purposes. Water will be required to produce energy. Such management challenges call for a nexus approach to broaden the analysis from a mere ‘blue water’ focus to the more efficient use of soil moisture (‘green water’) and sustainable policy options.
The conference provides analyses and recommendations on how to address the nexus in global drylands, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. New theoretical approaches are discussed such as energy-water footprints and how to tackle quantitative data gaps that underpin the nexus approach. Other topics include the role of technology and innovation in supporting the better use of water resources for food and energy production, the impact of climate change on water resources and agricultural productivity, improved supply chain management, logistics and inputs, and the role of ‘ancient farming techniques’ like terraced fields in preserving water resources. Another area of interest relates to policy relevant issues such as the enablement of farmers in drylands to realize nexus ideas, hydropolitics and the administration of cross border water resources, and the role of multinational cooperation and institutional reform in dryland countries to govern water for food and energy production.
The conference is the first in a series of related conferences and research initiatives with which the OCP Policy Center, the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), King’s College London and Texas A&M University want to address this pressing issue of our time. Papers of the conference will be published in a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development in spring 2015. At the same time a follow up conference will be held in Barcelona that will explore the cooperation potential between dryland countries and regions with tropical agriculture, most notably Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Rabat, 11-13 June, 2014
|
Day 1. Wednesday, 11 June |
|
|
19.30 |
Registration |
|
20.00 |
Welcoming session |
|
Day 2. Thursday, 12 June |
|
|
08.30 - 09.15 |
Coffee and Registration |
|
09.15 - 09.30 |
Opening Remarks Jordi Bacaria, Director Barcelona Centre of International Affairs (CIDOB) Karim El-Aynaoui, Managing Director OCP Policy Center |
|
09.30 - 10.00 |
Tony Allan, King’s College London and SOAS |
|
10.00 – 11.15 |
Panel 1: Defining the Nexus for Drylands Green Water in Dryland Countries : defining feature of the Nexus Rabi Mohtar, Texas A&M University Impacts of Climate Change on the food-water supply chains in Drylands Mark Mulligan, King’s College London Food-Water in the MENA Region Marta Antonelli, King’s College London Harry Verhoeven, University of Oxford Discussion moderated by Holger Hoff, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) |
|
11.15 - 11.45 |
Coffee Break |
|
11.45 –13.00 |
Case Studies from Dryland Countries Rachid Doukkali, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II A global View of Managing Water Ressources in Tunisia Jamel Chahed, ENIT Tunis Contribution of rainfall-runoff modelling to the knowledge of water resources in Senegal Ansoumana Bodian, Université Gaston Berger (UGB), Senegal Discussion moderated by Saqib Mukhtar, Texas A&M University |
|
13.00 - 14.30 |
Lunch Break |
|
14.30 - 15.45 |
Panel 2: Farming Farmers last- the failure of dryland farming in West Asia and North Africa Brian Chatterton, Farmer and Former Minister of Agriculture South Australia Catalyzing, distilling and disseminating agroecological knowledge Kristofer Dodge, ICARDA Livestock farming in Texas: The Ogallala case study Saqib Mukhtar, Texas A&M University Challenges to the operationalization of the nexus concept in local development Guy Jobbins, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London Discussion moderated by Martin Keulertz, Purdue University |
|
15.45 - 16.15 |
Coffee Break |
|
16.15–17.30 |
Case studies from selected countries Climate Change Impact on Water, Agriculture and Energy in Lebanon Talal Darwish, National Center for Remote Sensing (CNRS), Beirut Realizing the spatial and temporal variations in blue and green agricultural water in Jordan Samer Talozi, Jordan University of Science and Technology Remote sensing analysis for monitoring effects on irrigated agriculture in Lebanon and Syria Hadi Jaafar, American University Beirut Discussion moderated by Guy Jobbins, ODI |
|
Day 3. Friday, 13 June |
|
|
09.00 - 10.15 |
Case Studies from Selected Countries Food security in the desert : what does it take? Bassel Daher, Qatar Foundation Knowledge Triangle Platform for the Nexus in Egypt Gabriele Cassetti, Milan Politecnic Nexus meets crisis - Some considerations on water, food and energy in Darfur Brendan Bromwich, King’s College London Discussion moderated by Eckart Woertz, CIDOB |
|
10.15 - 11.30 |
Panel 3: How to implement the nexus into policy Implementing the nexus in the MENA region Holger Hoff, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) The two worlds of food: food policy Lynne Chatterton, independent policy advisor Green water and sustainable policy options Caroline King, Ecosystems and Human Development Association (EHDA) Pathways for institutional and policy preparedness Hammou Lamrani, GIZ Discussion moderated by Rabi Mohtar, Texas A&M University |
|
11.30 - 12.00 |
Coffee Break |
|
12.00- 13.15 |
Panel 4: The Energy Water Nexus: Challenges and Regulations Omar Aloui, Economist and Managing Director of Agroconcept Xavier Chauvot de Beauchêne, Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist, Middle East and North Africa Region, World Bank Eckart Woertz, CIDOB Discussion moderated by Francis Ghilès, CIDOB |
|
13.15 – 15.00 |
Lunch Break |
|
15.00 – 15.30 |
Keynote Speech H.E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004-2010) |
|
15.30-16.45 |
Panel 5: Financing the Nexus in Drylands Conceptual and operational problems of the nexus approach Tony Allan, KCL and SOAS How to finance green economy projects in MENA dryland countries Martin Keulertz, Purdue University and Eckart Woertz, CIDOB Culture and the Nexus in Dryland Countries Musa McKee, SOAS From thinking to practice: real world application Daniel Yeo, Global Green Growth Institute, Ethiopia Discussion moderated by Hammou Lamrani, GIZ |
|
16.45 – 17.45 |
Panel Conversation H. E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs (2004-2010) Discussion moderated by Rabi Mohtar, Texas A&M and Martin Keulertz, Purdue University |
|
17.45 |
End of conference |
CONTACTS
In Rabat: Laila Hamili
OCP Policy Center
Phone: + 212 6 61 91 95 21
E-mail: communication@ocppc.ma
In Barcelona: Anna Borrul
CIDOB
Phone : +34 93 302 64 95
E-mail : aborrull@cidob.org
About CIDOB :
CIDOB, the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, is Spain’s oldest international relations think tank. Since 1973 CIDOB has been an important reference in information and policy-oriented research in international issues, and it has gained growing recognition for its research and publications beyond Spanish borders. CIDOB is an independent, non partisan centre funded by a variety of local, national and international public and private actors which, according to the “Global Go To Think Tank” report issued yearly by the University of Pennsylvania, holds the 64th ranking position in the category of “Top Think Tanks Worldwide” and the 16th of Western Europe.
Its areas of geographical expertise include Europe, Latin America, the former Soviet space, Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East with a particular focus on issues such as regionalism, international migration, intercultural dialogue, development and human security. CIDOB participates in a number of research consortiums funded by the European Commission and the European Parliament. It is currently coordinating three major projects on the future of the Atlantic Space, Arab Youth and Integration policies of migrant population in the EU.
-
TONY ALAN - King's College London and SOAS
-
Rabi Mohtar - Texas A&M University & Qatar Foundation
-
Rachid Doukkali - Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II
-
Harry Verhoeven - University of Oxford
-
Guy Jobbins - Overseas Devlopment Institute (ODI), London
-
Jamal Chahed - UNIT Tunis
-
BODIAN ANSOUMAN - UNIVERSITY GASTON BERGER, SENEGAL
-
Martin Keulertz - Purdue University
-
Musa McKee - SOAS
-
Daniel Yeo - Global Green Growth Institute, Ethiopia
-
Bassel Daher - Researcher
-
Caroline King - Ecosystems and Human Development Association
-
Omar Aloui - Economist and Managing Director of Agroconcept
-
H.E. Miguel Angel Moratinos - Former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs(2004-2010)