NEXUS Gains @ UNFCCC COP27

The NEXUS Gains Initiative will engage in a range of events during the 27^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), taking place between November 7 and 18, 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

A summary of the livestreamed events is shown below – scroll down for further details of each session.

Thursday, November 10, 2022

High level session – Reflections from the ground: opportunities for upscaling preparedness to future climate shocks and extreme events

12:00–13:00 EET

This high-level event will aim to share recent experiences from Pakistan’s floods and heatwaves which have bought great devastation to food, land and water systems in one of the countries most at risk to climate change. Huge areas of crops have been lost, and the implications for water systems and the resulting impacts on health are enormous. This session will also highlight the challenges of managing the Indus River Basin within the context of a changing climate, and the Government of Pakistan’s priorities to restore ecosystems and livelihoods in the basin.

NEXUS Gains participation: Mohsin Hafeez, IWMI Pakistan

Location: Water Pavilion (register online)

Friday, November 11, 2022

Building climate-resilient agri-food systems

14:30–15:30 EET

This session will explore climate resilience at the intersection of water and food. High-level speakers will provide a global-scale assessment of the food–water nexus, discuss opportunities and challenges for building resilient food systems, and explore the role of groundwater management. Case studies from Uganda, Egypt and Central Asia (Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) will showcase how this work is playing out on the ground.

NEXUS Gains participation: Claudia Ringler, IFRPI

Location: Water Pavilion (register online)

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Integrating nutrition and food security in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

14:00–15:15 EET

Food insecurity and malnutrition are critical problems globally, and climate change is exacerbating the situation and creating a vicious cycle – with the most vulnerable paying the highest price. What people eat, how food gets from farm to plate, and dynamics in the food systems, all lie at the food–health–environment nexus. Food systems are both key drivers and victims of climate change. This side event intends to raise awareness of the links between climate change, health and nutrition. It will discuss concrete solutions that target both adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, with a particular focus on integrating nutrition and food security in NDCs.

NEXUS Gains participation: Claudia Ringler, IFPRI

Location: Health Pavilion (watch the livestream)

Monday, November 14, 2022

NEXUS solutions for climate-resilient water, energy, food and environment security: lessons learned from the ground

10:00–11:00 EET

The water, food, and energy sectors are inextricably linked. Hence, actions or impacts of climate change in one area commonly affect the others, and the ecosystems that natural resources and human activities ultimately depend upon. At the same time, the water–energy–food–environment (WEFE) nexus is a powerful concept to describe and address the complex and interrelated nature of the global resource systems needed for humankind to achieve social, economic and environmental goals. Recognizing and optimizing these connections can create a balance between the different Sustainable Development Goals, and the interests and needs of people and the environment. To do this, there needs to be cross-sectoral consultation mechanisms at local, national and global levels – ensuring the development of concerted efforts.

NEXUS Gains participation: Kibrom Abay, IFPRI

Location: Water Pavilion (register online)

The WEFE Nexus: a regional context

13:00–14:00 EET

This session will address the water–energy–food–environment (WEFE) nexus with a focus on water. The event will present good experiences of basin management for adaptation to climate change in a regional context. It will point out the urgency of making this cross-sectoral approach at the scale of hydrographic basins a political priority at the United Nations Water Conference of March 2023. This session will also explore opportunities for energy development that present the least long-term harm to our global freshwater systems and nature.

NEXUS Gains participation: Santosh Nepal, IWMI Nepal

Location: Water Pavilion (register online)

Development of cooperation between Central Asian countries in the field of water resources in the conditions of climate change

1:30–14:30 EET

NEXUS Gains participation: Mohsin Hafeez, IWMI Pakistan

Location: Tajikistan Pavilion

The road to sustainable resources management and future prospects

14:30–15:30 EET

The session aims to show how ‘net zero’ can be achieved using big data science, digitalization and decentralization. It highlights the localized implementation of water–energy–food security in funded programs through infrastructure, technical and research partnerships. The session also demonstrates the need for interdisciplinary research and the importance of interdisciplinary MSc and professional diplomas to address perceived challenges facing land and resources used for food production.

NEXUS Gains participation: Claudia Ringler, IFPRI

Location: Water Pavilion (register online)

Tuesday, November 14, 2022

The relationship between local, indigenous knowledge and innovative technologies

12:00–13:30 EET

Knowledge is the cradle of innovation. Both local, indigenous knowledge and innovative technologies can provide farmers across the globe with the tools, skills, information and market linkages needed to supply calories and nutrition to billions of people. This session discusses a way forward, toward a symbiosis between technology innovations and knowledge on local food systems.

NEXUS Gains participation: Claudia Ringler, IFPRI

Location: Resilience Hub (register online)

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Solar irrigation to address recurring global food, nutrition and fuel crises in a climate emergency

13:00–14:00 EET

This session will introduce new findings on solar irrigation uptake and challenges in Africa and South Asia, and the potential of the technology in a climate crisis. Key stakeholders will discuss tradeoffs across greenhouse gas mitigation, food and nutrition security, and water depletion. The session will show that solar irrigation (and solar systems in general) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting food security in nutrition – through irrigation but also by addressing other food systems gaps through solar cold storage, etc. The session will also explain how the expansion of solar solutions in agriculture is hampered by poor supply chains, and a lack of appropriate business and finance models. Solar irrigation solutions therefore need to be joined with improved institutions and governance of groundwater. In addition, more analyses are needed to ensure that women benefit equally with men from solar solutions.

NEXUS Gains participation: Santosh Nepal, IWMI Nepal; Abdulkarim Seid, IWMI Ethiopia

Location: Food and Agriculture Pavilion (watch the livestream)

Header image: Meka reservoir Ethiopia. Photo by M. McCartney/IWMI