WEF Nexus

Nexus Project Cluster Workshop: Advancing the Nexus for Science and Policy
2021-11-23 09:00 - 17:30 (Europe/Rome)
The objective of the virtual workshop is to update participants on recent Nexus Cluster initiatives. Projects that have started in the previous year will be presented, and emerging nexus-related research topics introduced and discussed.
The workshop will provide a platform for high-level interaction and project groups to exchange their experiences. Additional discussion points include the Nexus in the context of relevant policy domains in the European Union, e.g., the Green Deal, European Climate Action, Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork Strategy under the framework of Horizon Europe.
The workshop aims to bring together partners and interested individuals and groups from different fields to engage in innovative discussions and gather input and feedback. The workshop’s ambition is to provide a forward-looking approach to bring more focus and coherence to the knowledge activities of the Nexus Cluster arising at the science-policy interface.
The Workshop is organized by the Steering Committee of the Nexus Project Cluster, and represented by Wageningen Research (NL), Athens University of Economics and Business (EL), Avellan Cecilia (DE), Cranfield University (UK), European Institute for Energy Research (EIfER) (DE), KWR Water (NL), Technical University of Munich (DE), University of Thessaly (EL)
and United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) (DE).
This workshop is open to members of the cluster and will focus on how the cluster could support science and policy in the next years. Registration is required.
Click here to register.
The original announcement is available here.

Reporting on climate change complexity in the Mediterranean region
2021-11-29 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Mediterranean countries are facing a set of complex and interrelated challenges that are increasing climate change vulnerability of the region – many of which are directly related to water, energy and food production, distribution and use. These three elements are inextricably linked. Water is used for energy production, and energy is the dominant cost factor in providing water and wastewater services. Energy is needed for land conversion, construction and transportation, and energy and water are needed for agricultural productivity. Land is required for water, energy and food production but is becoming increasingly scarce.

The region’s rapid rate of urbanization and population growth – specially in coastal areas – is increasing the demand of these resources. The vulnerable coast must cope with relentless urban pressure coupled with the rising impacts of climate change. Coastal zones are faced with the grim prospect of erosion and the salinization of river deltas and aquifers that underpin livelihoods and food security.

Within the celebration of the first Mediterranean Day, this session aims to explain the basis of the interconnection between water, energy, food and ecosystems – the so-called WEFE Nexus – when reporting about climate change. The WEFE Nexus is an approach that integrates management and governance across the multiple sectors of food, energy, water, and ecosystems. The Nexus corroborates the need to not view water, energy, food and ecosystems as being separate entities, but rather a complex and inextricably entwined.

The session will spell out with day-to-day examples how to embed that approach in the journalistic reporting when covering climate change. Stay tuned for the agenda!

Click here to register!
The announcement is available here.

WE4F Southern and Central Regional Innovation Hub hosts webinar: Expression of Interest from Services Providers
2021-11-30 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York)
The Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Southern and Central Africa Regional Innovation Hub (S/C Africa RIH) invites service providers, vendors and consultants to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) to become part of a qualified pool of service providers who will be invited to bid on procurement opportunities published from January – June 2022.
The Call for Expressions of Interest from interested Service Providers will open on 16th November 2021 and be published on the WE4F website.
Applicants will then have until 25th November 2021 (16:00, GMT +2 Harare) to submit any clarifying questions and the Q & A webinar for Service Providers to be held on 30th November (16:00, GMT + Harare) will endeavor to answer all these questions during the live event.
For those unable to attend the live event, a recording of the Webinar will be made available to the Water and Energy For Food: Grand Challenge YouTube Channel.
The Q&A webinar on November 30th, 2021 at 16:00 Pm (GMT + 2, Harare time) will provide an overview of the Call for EOI, timeline, and answer all pre-submitted questions.
The call for Expressions of Interest will close on 14th December 2021.
Kindly submit your questions to WE4FAfricaBids@tetratech.com.
All questions submitted before 25th November, 2021 will be answered in the Q&A webinar whilst any questions sent after this date and before the deadline will be answered via email.
Registration is required.
To learn more about, WE4F and S/C Africa RIH, click here.

Water, Land, and Ecosystem (WLE) Legacy Symposium
2021-11-30 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/Rome)
This WLE symposium will celebrate the achievements and impacts of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) which will close following a ten-year journey in December 2021.
The event will demonstrate the science-driven, practical innovations that WLE has generated to address critical climate challenges and advance the transition to more equitable, productive, sustainable and resilient food systems. It targets a wide range of stakeholders – and aims to inform future investments, planning and research.
The program will begin with a presentation of key WLE solutions. A keynote speaker will then place WLE’s research in a broader context, connecting it to global debates around water, land and ecosystem sustainability. This will be followed by a high-level panel discussion, some short personal reflections from people closely involved in the program, and concluding remarks that will look to the future and consider how WLE research can help to address the climate crisis.
Click here for to register for the program!

The 4th Mediterranean Water Forum 2021
2021-12-06 - 2021-12-08
Between the 6th and 8th December 2021, the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) of Malta, in collaboration with the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), shall be hosting the 4th Mediterranean Water Forum in Malta. Initiated in Marrakech in 2011, the Mediterranean Water Forum is intended to be a regional event that brings together the main stakeholders in the Mediterranean water community to exchange water management solutions amongst each other. The main outcomes of the forum will then be presented during the 9th World Water Forum, which will be held in March 2022, in Dakar.
Complementing the theme of the 4th Mediterranean Water Forum, the NAWAMED project shall be organizing the 2nd Mediterranean Water Table on the 8th December 2021. During the meeting, NAWAMED project partners, together with associated partners and stakeholders will discuss the issues and solutions related to non-conventional water resource technologies and water demand management techniques that have been identified during the 1st two national water tables, organized around the partners’ Countries (Italy, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan).
This cycle of water tables, at National and Mediterranean level, will then lead to the development of a holistic Mediterranean Policy Document that could be used as guidance for national and regional policy development by other neighboring Med countries.
Stay tuned for more information!

The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus: From Research to Practice
2021-12-06 10:00 - 2021-12-08 17:00 (Europe/Madrid)
Water, energy and food security are deeply interconnected. Each of these sectors depends on and sustains the others. An understanding of the interdependencies of natural resources and their planning, management and consumption is at the heart of the Water, Energy, Food security and Eco-systems (WEFE) Nexus approach. Applying the WEFE Nexus approach enables us to look across sectors, and bring synergies to life to ensure inclusive water, energy, food security for all while respecting the capacities of natural environments. This 3-day seminar calls to the research and science community in the Mediterranean region with the aim to stimulate more WEFE Nexus solutions and project proposals. It offers insights, methods and tools from thought leaders, presents case studies from the region, engages participants in expert-led discussions and enables participants to broaden their networks! Join us in inspiring the institutionalization of the WEFE Nexus!
The online training targets the research community and aims to achieve the following objectives:

Build a common understanding of the WEFE Nexus as a key driver for a transition to a green economy and for the achievement of the SDGs
Inspire more WEFE Nexus solutions as well as integrated assessment tools and methods put forward by the science and research community in the Southern Mediterranean region
Discuss opportunities of regional collaboration supporting the concrete implementation of the WEFE nexus approach

Registration is required. Click here!
Click here for program agenda.

Transforming food systems for better nutrition, health, and prosperity
2021-12-06 15:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York)
Over the course of the past two years, and in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, the UN Secretary-General’s Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) has engaged world leaders and thousands of people from around the world in an ambitious effort to accelerate actions towards more sustainable, equitable, and healthier food systems and realising the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The UNFSS and Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit (Dec 7-8, 2021) have been working collaboratively (see joint statement) to advance solutions across systems with a mutual recognition that malnutrition in all its forms is one of the biggest challenges we face to ensuring optimal health, resilience, and prosperity for all. To further highlight nutrition relevant moments, a “Nutrition for Growth Year of Action” was launched in December 2020.
On the eve of the N4G Summit the UNFSS Secretariat is hosting Transforming food systems for better nutrition, health, and prosperity for all: A virtual event in support of the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit.
6 December 2021: 8:00 – 09:30am GMT | 11:00am-12:30pm EAT | 17:00 -18:30pm JST
This event will underscore the linkage between nutrition and food systems, and aims to heighten global awareness, momentum, and actions toward delivering on the promise of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speakers include UNFSS Special Envoy Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Food Systems Champions, government representatives, and stakeholders who have been engaged in food systems and nutrition space.
Download Concept Note
Register: Please register your attendance here on Eventbrite prior to December 6.
This announcement is taken from here.

Water for Climate Action: Reducing GHG Emissions
2021-12-07 01:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Scientists say we have less than a decade to act on climate and secure a livable future. This hits home in the water sector, where climate impacts show up first and most often. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that water is also part of the climate solution. Over 10 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from water-related activities, with more than 3 percent from water and wastewater utilities alone. As more water and wastewater utilities develop and implement climate plans, they are also stepping up on climate mitigation efforts. Utilities are working to decrease the sector’s dependence on fossil fuels and help cities and regions achieve critical GHG reduction targets. What’s even more exciting is that many of these climate actions deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits back to utilities and the communities they serve. This webinar will feature international and local perspectives on advancing climate mitigation through water. Speakers will provide insights from the recent Water Pavilion at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-26) in Glasgow, Scotland. Utilities in California and New Jersey will also share how they are implementing water conservation strategies, green energy projects, system efficiencies, and even ecosystem protection to reduce direct and indirect emissions, ultimately reaching for carbon neutrality.
Moderator: • Katy Lackey, Senior Program Manager, US Water Alliance
Speakers: • Richard S. Dovey, President, Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) • Cate Lamb, Global Director of Water Security, Carbon Disclosure Project • Brian Mendenhall, Senior Water Resources Specialist, Valley Water
Registration is required.

Beyond traditional financing models for Smallholders and other End-users in the WEF-Nexus: Challenges and Innovative solutions
2021-12-14 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Rome)
The fourth session of the 2nd Round of Webinar on Water-Energy-Food focuses on Nexus SOLUTIONS. In rural areas around the globe access to finance is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of end-users (e.g. smallholder farmers and agri-food SMEs). Without access to finance, end-users of the water-energy-food nexus face extreme hardships to grow their businesses or increase their income! But who are the end-users in the WEF nexus? What are their needs and challenges in accessing finance? And what new, innovative financial models exist to enable end-users to grow their businesses or increase their income? This webinar provides answers while it aims to share knowledge, raise awareness, and advance the discussion on how to close the end-user financing gap in the WEF nexus – with special focus on the West Africa Region.
This session will be presented by:

Kay Grulich, GIZ/WE4F (Germany)
Marlène Amegankpoe, SCS International (Mali)
Bastian Domke, GIZ (Germany)
Joëlle Duff, Cordaid Investment Management B.V. (The Netherland)

It will be moderated by the African Foresight Group (Ghana).
Registration is required.

Seminar at Expo 2020 // Dutch Water Sector Event: ‘Water, Energy & Food for Cities, Industries and Agriculture: Global Challenges – Integrated Local Solutions’
2022-01-16
The Netherlands will hold a water seminar focused on global challenges and integrated solutions as well as regional issues within the Gulf region. We seek to foster cooperation on water issues in the Gulf region and around the world through local partners while seeking the best approach to forming partnerships and finding solutions to existing challenges.
Water seminar sub-themes:

Integrated Water Resource Management in water-scarce areas
Nexus: water and food connections
Smart mater management – The key to sustainable water treatment
21st century water management in the built environment

The above-mentioned water seminar will take place at the Netherlands Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, and will be followed by the Netherlands’ participation at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), from 17 to 19 January 2022. In terms of content, the seminar will also overlap with the trilateral summit between Netherlands, Jordan and the UAE.
More information regarding the event is available here.
Discover the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Water, Energy, Food NEXUS Virtual Innovation Week: Paving the way towards Entrepreneurship
2022-01-17 - 2022-01-20
From 17 to 20 January 2022, the joint NEX-LABS and PHEMAC innovation week will bring together Euro-Mediterranean researchers, policy makers, investors, Industry players, Academia, Technology Transfer Offices, SMEs, startups and Entrepreneurs.
The event will provide participants with unique opportunities to know more about Water, Energy and Food (WEF) NEXUS status and realities in Tunisia and the Euro-Mediterranean Region and to forge strategic partnerships across Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Participants will connect with relevant peers and stakeholders in Europe and the MENA region through a regional conference, workshops, discussion panels and expert roundtables, followed by B2B matchmaking sessions. SMEs, Startups and Innovators will have the opportunity to exhibit their innovative products, services & ideas through the virtual exhibition and innovation fair.
The event is open for SMEs, Startups, Academics, Researchers, Experts, technology transfer offices, policy makers and Research & Development institutions linked to the field of Water, Energy & Food and will provide the unique opportunity to network with the most active business clusters, industry players, leading academics, international experts, technology transfer offices, policy makers and Research & Development institutions to exchange knowledge and ideas around the latest innovations and findings in the Water, Energy and Food sectors following a NEXUS approach.
Registration is required.
The announcement is taken from PHEMAC website where as detail information on program agenda is available on WEF Innovation week website.

Cleantech to Market (C2M) Informational Webinar
2022-02-04 13:00 - 14:30 UTC
Cleantech to Market (C2M) is now accepting applications for 1,000 hours of free commercialization support – including the identification of early-stage market opportunities, prospective customers and partners, and funding sources – for promising innovations in low-carbon energy, green chemistry, and water technologies.
C2M supports innovators from leading accelerators, universities, and government programs, including the Cleantech Open, Cyclotron Road, ARPA-E, DOE, DARPA, CEC/CalSeed, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Caltech, Princeton, MIT, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and other top-tier organizations.
Join us on Friday, February 4th at 10 am to learn more about this opportunity and how to apply!
Registration is required!
Click here!

Interactive Online Session: Does the design of a Transboundary Water Agreement matter?
2022-02-16 08:00 - 09:30 UTC
The Transboundary Freshwater Security Governance Train continues its journey in 2022 on 16 February, with its 10th interactive session in the series. This time, the event explores how the design of Transboundary Water Agreements affects their performance and whether there are key ingredients that should structure these agreements.
The aim of the online session is to explore the importance of design in the development and implementation of agreements and other arrangements on transboundary waters. Through an introduction to the Practical Guide for the Development of Agreements or Other Arrangements for Transboundary Water Cooperation the session will explore whether there are key ingredients that should structure these agreements and other arrangements. Additionally, the session will consider how design might affect an agreement’s performance and how the Practical Guide can help in drafting new or improve existing transboundary water agreements.
The session will feature speakers with different experiences discussing the following topics:

Does the design of a Transboundary Water Agreement matter? And if so, how does design affect an agreement’s performance?
How can the Practical Guide for the Development of Agreements or Other Arrangements for Transboundary Water Cooperation (UNECE 2021) help in drafting new or improving existing transboundary water agreements?
Are there certain key ingredients that should structure Transboundary Water Agreements and other arrangements?

Duration: 1.5 hours
Registration is required.
Click here for detail information about the event.

How Can Spiritual and Faith-Based Knowledge Systems Inform the Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise?
2022-02-22 12:00 - 13:30 UTC
About the seminar:
Presented by the AMS Interfaith Committee, hear stories, work, ideas from panelists across various spiritual/faith-based backgrounds on environmentalism, and how the AMS and spiritual/faith communities can work together in this important space. This is one of a series of topics related to conversations, work, and ideas on collaboration and relational building between the AMS and faith/spiritual communities.
Organizer:
Dr. Carlos Javier Martinez – National Center for Atmospheric Research
Panelists:

Rabbi Geoff Mitelman – Sinai and Synapses
Dr. William (Bill) Hooke – American Meteorological Society
James Rattling Leaf, Sr. – Cooperative Institute Research Environmental Sciences, North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Dr. Emma Frances Bloomfield – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Nana Firman – GreenFaith

The Q&A, chat file, anonymous survey results, and attendee list from this webinar will be shared with its organizers.
Registration is required. Click here!.

Training: Agri-food Export Development Program
2022-02-28 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
The Youth in Agri-food Export Development Program (YAEDP) is accepting applications for 6 – 8 weeks of online training from young Nigerian agripreneurs and co-operative leaders in the agricultural value chains looking to start/scale their export business. The program aims to provide training, market linkages, and digital support to entrepreneurs in the Nigerian agri-food sector.
Deadline: 30 April 2022

Water panel: prepare for SGMA by leveraging financial incentives
2022-03-03 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Are you ready to deal with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)) as its being implemented between 2020 and 2025? It is already having an impact on over drafted basins in California. David Gates will share his experience managing wells at Ridge Vineyards in Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties.
Financial mechanisms are available today to help your operation prepare for the future. Conservation practices can be aligned with smart operational improvements to make the farm more sustainable, both financially and environmentally. As part of this panel, AgMonitor’s Kevin Langham will quantify the benefits of projects financed through the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and through On-Bill Financing (OBF) by utilities from a revolving fund by the California Utility Public Commission (CPUC). While CDFA provides grants based on water conservation and the reduction of GHG emissions, CPUC provides zero-percent loans to scale based on energy savings. “Carbon credits” and “energy credits” are common tools to finance resource efficiency.
Join us for the OpenFarm panel moderated by CDFA’s Carolyn Cook who manages the SWEEP grants. She will share her experience helping farms across California achieve water and energy savings. Below is a testimonial from PureFresh Ranch in Fresno county that received a SWEEP grant in the past. It gives a look at what the future holds for agriculture in terms of control and flexibility of water and energy inputs to grow quality food while reducing GHG emissions. Testimonial: https://youtu.be/RCRqZtY0VGw
Click here to register!

Towards Sustainable Treatment and Reuse of Wastewater in the Mediterranean Region
2022-03-12
The Faculty of Public Health and the Doctoral School of Science and Technology at the Lebanese University (UL) in the AQUACYCLE partnership are pleased to announce the second series of workshops with Lebanese stakeholders, under the theme “Have your say in the development of action plans for the reuse of treated wastewater”.
Following brief presentations on the objectives of the ENI CBC Med Programme, and of the AQUACYCLE project, the workshop programme includes interactive sessions during which representatives of civil society, including farmers, local officials, Local NGOs and citizens, and especially women and young people, will be invited to express their perceptions and identify the problems and challenges related to the reuse of treated wastewater in their region as well as possible solutions to solve these.
The workshop will also be an opportunity for participants to draw a layout plan for wastewater reuse of their area based on maps established by the project in a web-based geographic information system.
The workshop will take place at Nawfal Palace in Tripoli, on Saturday, 12 March 2022.

Invitation to Americas WEF Nexus Alliance Information Session
2022-03-15 - 2022-03-18
Please join us for a 45-minute information session that will introduce new opportunities for Penn State faculty and graduate students to participate in high-impact WEF Nexus projects in Colombia and across the Americas. The information session will include information on project development and training workshops in Colombia during the summer of 2022, in addition to opportunities to apply for travel grants and a new joint seed–grant program supported by Penn State and Colombia partners.
The Americas Water-Energy-Food Nexus Alliance builds on the existing partnership between Penn State and Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano (UTADEO) in Colombia and aims to develop research and engagement with new public and private partners across the western hemisphere, with emphasis on advancing applied research and policy projects in Pennsylvania, Colombia, and other countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region. The Americas WEF Nexus Alliance is linked to similar Penn State initiatives in Africa.

All information sessions will be virtual and will provide the same information. Please, register via the zoom links below:
Tuesday 3/15 at 3:00 – 3:45 pmhttps://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lS9JHTd6SRKzius-zfA3yw

Friday 3/18 at 11:00 – 11:45 am
https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TdL-ypcnQ7qwD3uGDX8xbA

Friday 3/18 at 3:00 – 3:45 pm
https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4uk6ttfTR_qMHKR0rAqwiA
We look forward to your participation!
Siela MaximovaDirector, Strategy for Latin America and the CaribbeanPenn State Global
Christopher ScottGoddard Chair and ProfessorDirector, Penn State WEF-Nexus Americas
Julián PrietoCoordinator, Penn State WEF Nexus Americas

German Pavilion: A Water Secure Future for All
2022-03-21 08:00 - 2022-03-25 17:00 UTC
The World Water Forum is the world’s biggest water-related event, held every three years to bring together key political actors, business leaders, NGOs, donors, and international organizations to promote dialogue and facilitate access to water and sanitation. This year’s Forum—under the theme, Water Security for Peace and Development—is jointly organized by the World Water Council (WWC) and the Government of Senegal, and will be the first hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Forum provides a unique platform for the water community and key decision makers to collaborate and make long-term progress on global water challenges. The WWC, notably through the organization of the World Water Forums, has strongly contributed to positioning water as a global political priority.
The 9th World Water Forum will focus on four priorities: 1) water security and sanitation; 2) cooperation; 3) water for rural development; 4) means and tools for implementation of reforms in water and sanitation. Additionally, the Forum will convene a Summit of Heads of States and major international institutions, to advance the political agenda on water and sanitation at the midpoint of the 2030 agenda on implementing the water and sanitation targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The World Bank will convene and participate in several sessions and side events, details for which will be announced soon. You can follow along via Twitter using #WWF9.
The 9th World Water Forum is happening in Dakar, Senegal from March 21 to 25, 2022. German cooperation actors gather at the 150m² German Pavilion to present their contribution to AWaterSecureFutureForAll.
Be part of it and join the pavilion live via stream here!

Access to end-user financing to drive groundbreaking water-energy-food (WEF) nexus innovation scaling in Africa for climate adaptation
2022-03-24 10:00 (America/New_York)
The overall goal of this session is to engage in a policy and investment dialogue on end-user financing to enhance climate adaptation in Africa. With all four Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) Regional Innovation Hubs now established in Africa (West, East, MENA and Southern/Central), this session brings together the combined force, learnings and opportunities for scaling WEF innovations to improve water and food security for millions of Africans, increase income for base of the pyramid women and men in both rural and urban areas, support innovators’ WEF nexus solutions to scale, and promote climate and environmental resilience. Through a policy and investment lens co-hosted by AMCOW, this session shares the opportunities and challenges for scaling WEF nexus solutions in Africa in a multi-partner, multi-innovator model, building on the legacy of predecessor programs, from Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development (PAEGC) and Securing Water for Food (SWFF) Grand Challenge. Finally, it will bring together diverse actors such as policy-makers, donor partners, investors, innovators, and hub management teams in the WEF nexus innovation value chain to speak frankly about the impact these interventions have had on the ground in Africa, and the degree to which the policy and investment landscape is geared to support this drive.
Registration is free.
Click here to register!

International Committee on Women in Agricultural Economics (ICWAE) Mentoring Program
2022-03-25
The International Committee on Women in Agricultural Economics (ICWAE) is announcing a mentorship program for women agricultural economists from the global South. An ICWAE advisory committee, led by Prof. Cheryl Doss, is working closely with African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) who will be providing the mentoring program.
We are currently accepting applications from those who would like to participate as mentees. In addition, the program will provide training and support for mentors and invites expressions of interest from those who would like to serve in this role.
Please refer to the details on the program and direct links below to the forms to apply as mentees or mentors. And please share this announcement widely with your networks.

Application Form for Mentees: https://form.jotform.com/220613178134954
EOI form for Mentors: https://form.jotform.com/220613656695967
Deadline: 25 March, 2022

For more information, please contact icwaementoring@gmail.com
This announcement is taken from here!

International Conference on Soil, Water and Environment: Challenges and Solutions (SWECS 2022)
2022-03-28 - 2022-03-29
Soil, Water and Environment: Challenges and Solutions (SWECS) will take place on 28-29th March, 2022 in Fkih Ben Saleh city in the center of Beni Mellal-Khenifra region, Morocco. The city is located in the heart of the phosphate plateau at approximately 150km from the Atltantic coastal zone in the North and 50 km from the Atlas Mountains in the South. This region is marked by a semi-arid climate and recognized by phosphate mining industry and various agricultural activities in the Tadla irrigated plain characterized as one of the most productive areas in the country.
The purpose of SWECS international conference is to provide a platform to share experiences and attract further partnerships among government, industry and academic institutions around soil, water, and Environment fields to address challenges, identify, highlight the needs to establish, preserve a healthy and sustainable environment for future generations, and initiate new partnerships for sustainable development.
Detail program agenda and conference topics are available here.

Open Africa Power 2022: Call for Applications Extended
2022-04-03
Enel Foundation and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) are excited to extend the call for applications for the 2022 edition of Open Africa Power, the programme that each year from 2018 provides a cohort of young energy professionals with a complete set of technical, regulatory and business skills needed to trigger Africa sustainable energy future for all. This year the programme will engage up to 150 African students and over 240 alumni, with at least 50% women, in a series of professional development and leadership activities provided in partnership with top academic institutions in Italy and Africa.
Open Africa Power 2022 will comprise of online and residential modules from academic institutions such as Strathmore University, the University of Cape Town, Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, SDA Bocconi, Florence School of Regulation, and Venice International University.

The application has been extended until April 3rd!
Learn more here: https://www.enelfoundation.org/all-news/news/2022/02/open-africa-power-2022–call-for-applications

Scaling Up WEF Nexus Solutions- What is FAO Doing about it?
2022-04-19 13:30 - 15:00 (Europe/Rome)
This is the 5th session of the 2nd Round of Webinar on Water-Food-Energy. It focuses on NEXUS SOLUTIONS.
This session will present and discuss some of FAO’s tools and work regarding the implementation of the WEF Nexus approach. The presentation and discussion will be based on concrete examples of where FAO’s WEF Nexus approach and tools have been applied to the assessment of sustainable bioenergy potential, solar irrigation, and investments in renewable energy for food chains. The session will also feature some major challenges and opportunities to scale up the WEF Nexus.
Registration is required.
Click here!
Webinar Agenda

Time
Content
Speaker

13:30-13:35
Opening Remarks
Domitille Valle, CTA-WEPS-NENA Project, FAORNE
Michael Jacobson, Pennsylvania State University

13:35-14:15
Presentation on examples of FAO’s tools and work on the WEF Nexus
Olivier Dubois, Senior Natural Resources Officer
Irini Maltsoglou, Natural Resources Officer
Manas Puri, Sustainable Energy Expert
(OCB)-FAO-HQ

14:15-14:45
Q&A and discussion
Participants

This webinar series is supported by the regional project, “Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Water Efficiency/Productivity and Water Sustainability in NENA countries” (WEPS-NENA) under the FAO led regional Water Scarcity Initiative (WSI). RNE-WEPS-NENA@fao.org
Website: http://www.fao.org/in-action/water-efficiency-nena/webinars/nexus-webinars/en/
For more information about the Water-Energy-Food Nexus 2nd Round Webinar series organizations, please link to WEF Nexus in Africa Initiative (wefnexus.org), WE4F (https://we4f.org), GIZ Nexus Dialogues(https://www.water-energy-food.org/resources/fact-sheet-nexus-regional-dialogues-programme-phase-ii), and SEI (https://www.sei.org).

International conference on Water, Energy, Food, and Sustainability (ICoWEFS)
2022-05-10 - 2022-05-12
About the Event:
The world is facing unprecedented challenges to mitigate climate change and adapt to its negative impacts, affecting the global economy and society. Europe intends to take the lead on the transition to sustainability, as a chief priority of Horizon Europe is a European Green Deal to transform Europe in a climate-neutral continent, fostering disruptive innovation and the deployment of new technologies and innovative solutions, helping to create a sustainable future.
Innovation regarding water, energy, agri-food, bio-economy, natural resources and environment will speed up the transition towards sustainability, promoting water and food security in the world.
A climate-neutral continent by 2050 will drive technological, economic and societal transformations towards circular economies and green and clean technologies, and the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries.
The International Conference on Water, Energy, Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2022), taking place in Portalegre (May 10-12, 2022), Portugal, aims to be a major forum to foster innovation and exchange knowledge in the water-energy-food Nexus, embracing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, bringing together leading academics, researchers and industrial experts. The conference expects to foster networking and collaboration among participants to advance the knowledge and identify major trends in the above mentioned fields.
Important dates:
Abstract Submission – 28 February 2022
Notification of acceptance – 7 March 2022
Full paper submission – 18 March 2022
Acceptance Notification – 1 April 2022
Revised Full Paper Submission –21 April 2022
Registration and Payment Deadline – 12 April 2022
Please register directly on the event website.
Further information:
Find all the information regarding the conference on the event page.
Conference email: icowefs@ipportalegre.pt
The ICoWEFS International Conference 2022 will be held at the
School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic of Portalegre.

Sustainable Energy for All Forum // Session on Leveraging the Sahel’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus
2022-05-17 - 2022-05-19
17- 19 May, 2022 I Kigali Convention Centre, Rwanda/online
The 2022 SEforALL Forum is the landmark global gathering bringing people together serving as a platform for exchange towards realizing SDG7 and a global clean energy transition. This year’s event takes place 17 – 19 May, 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. Registration for virtual participation is still open.
About the Forum
Join the efforts to accelerate progress towards the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) to end energy poverty and advance a just energy transition in every corner of the world.
The 2022 SEforALL Forum is the landmark global gathering bringing people together to take stock of progress, showcase success and identify solutions to achieve faster, broader gains towards sustainable energy for all. It serves as a platform to broker new partnerships, spur investment, address challenges and drive action towards realizing SDG7 and a global clean energy transition.
Featured speakers will be H.E. António Guterres (Secretary-General United Nations), Patricia Espinosa (Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention and Climate Change), Laurence Tubiana (CEO, European Climate Foundation), and many more.
Programme
The full programme is available here.
Registration
Click here to register your virtual attendance.
Further Information
Visit the 2022 SEforALL Forum website for further information.

Call for Applications // NEX-LABS Summer School To Grow Innovations In The Water Energy Food NEXUS
2022-05-22
NEX-LABS Summer School:

Calling innovators and researchers from Lebanon and the Mediterranean to apply to Berytech’s regional Entrepreneurship Summer School in the Water Food Energy NEXUS Sector under the NEX-LABS project and develop novel startups.

Berytech is organizing a 5-day intensive summer school allowing entrepreneurs and startups to turn their innovations in the Water Food Energy (WEF) NEXUS sector into potential startups and explore commercialization opportunities.
The summer school will provide new business perspectives to NEXUS innovators, create potential collaboration across borders in the Mediterranean and help the entrepreneurs develop their entrepreneurial mindset and relevant skills to successfully launch and grow their business.
The summer school will feature 13 to 15 teams from 7 countries: Spain, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Cyprus and Lebanon. Teams will be selected to attend the summer school and develop their innovation management, commercialization strategy of NEXUS technologies, business model, IPR and investment pitch deck.
The Entrepreneurship Summer School will take place towards end of June, beginning July 2022.
It will be planned over 5 days with fully covered accommodation in an adapted working setting. Travel expenses to Lebanon will be covered by Berytech.

Who Can Apply?

Entrepreneurs, researchers, industrialists, innovators and start-ups working on early-stage projects, innovative solutions and approaches and/or working on technology development looking for commercializing their idea to address the needs and opportunities in WEF-NEXUS sector
University students and alumni from targeted faculties working on business or research projects in the WEF-NEXUS sector in the Mediterranean region

Eligibility Criteria

Participants should reside in Spain, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Italy, Egypt and Cyprus.
Participants should have an idea, innovation solution or applied research project addressing WEF-NEXUS opportunities.
Participants should be motivated to learn and apply skills learned in future NEX-LABS activities and contribute in shaping the landscape of WEF-NEXUS in the MPCs.
Project should address an important economic, environmental or social need in the WEF-NEXUS context (such as resource efficiency, gender empowerment, resource allocation, community inclusion, yield increase);
Project idea should demonstrate economic viability and combine innovation, sustainability and potential for scalability in the WEF- NEXUS
Project should have at least a proof of concept / prototype (a realization of a certain method or idea in order to demonstrate that the concept or theory has practical potential).

Read what will you learn from the summer school here.
Applications are now open. Apply before May 22nd, 2022.

First International Water Summit and the Establishment of the Zuckerberg Water Prize
2022-05-22 - 2022-05-23
The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR) is pleased to announce the first International Water Summit and establishment of the Zuckerberg Water Prize during May 22–23, 2022, at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Sde Boqer Campus, Israel.
This biannual Water Summit will assemble leading scholars from around the world in the broad field of water science and technology, and cover four main topics related to water security in a changing world – desalination, water treatment, hydrology, and aquatic microbiology. The summit will address applied and fundamental questions related to the nexus of water, humanity, and the environment. Discussions will be held on cutting-edge research, related challenges, and future directions as well as implications for policy makers. The summit will also include roundtable discussions with active participation from the audience. Researchers that would like to share their studies can submit an abstract for an exclusive poster session.
The Zuckerberg Water Prize (sum of USD 60,000) will be awarded for the first time during the Water Summit to acknowledge outstanding achievements and global impact of an individual or organization in the broader field of water. The biannual award is endorsed by ZIWR, a leading global institute conducting cutting-edge multidisciplinary research and advanced education in water sciences to improve human well-being and in drylands through technologies and policies for the sustainable use of water resources. ZIWR is accepting nominations for this award for the inaugural round of 2022, with a deadline of March 1, 2022. Among the members on the Prize Committee are Prof. Noam Weisbrod (Director, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research [BIDR], BGU, Israel), Prof. Menachem Elimelech (Yale University, USA), Prof. Janet Hering (Director, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology [Eawag], Switzerland), Prof. Amit Gross (Director, ZIWR, BIDR, BGU, Israel), and Dr. Karen G. Villholth (Principal Researcher and Groundwater Coordinator, International Water Management Institute [IWMI], South Africa).
Information regarding registration and poster presentation can be found here.

Dresden Nexus Conference 2022: Biodiversity - Stewardship for Vital Resources
2022-05-23 - 2022-05-25
The DNC2022 focuses on strengthening biodiversity with other challenges in society (e.g., climate change, urban and regional development, agri-food and forest systems and circular economy). Under the theme “Biodiversity – stewardship for vital resources”, the fourth Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) will take place on 23–25 May 2022. It is generally an online conference (sessions) with selected live and on-site elements and formats. The programme aims to explore research and practical examples of sustainable resource management in communities around the world and how these management strategies support the achievement of the SDGs.
Overview of the Event
Changes in demographics, urbanisation, climate, and their human causes have resulted in significant impacts and pressures on the availability and quality of environmental resources. Current approaches to environmental resources management are often based on ‘siloed thinking’ whereby the interconnectedness between resource systems is ignored. Against this background, the Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) is dedicated to advancing the Resource Nexus to enable the sustainability of environmental resources. Co-organised by United Nations University – Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), and the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), the conference provides a platform for inter- and transdisciplinary exchange on the Resource Nexus. By bringing together actors from a diverse range of disciplines and sectors, DNC fosters dialogue on how nexus thinking contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a deep transformation towards Strong Sustainability in its ecological, economic, and social dimensions.
Nexus Topics at its Core
The biennial conference focuses on complex and dynamic interrelationships between sectors and resources, to increase understanding of conflicts, synergies, and trade-offs between them. Furthering Resource Nexus research and practices requires working in-depth with all relevant sciences as well as on the science-policy interface, implementation, monitoring, and real-world cases in an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective. This implies, for instance, modelling at various spatio-temporal scales, dealing with interdependencies between ecosystem functions and services, understanding the role of institutions and culture in decision making, or developing strategies for different governance contexts.
The conference discusses a broad diversity of key Resource Nexus topics. These are brought together with a view to cross-cutting challenges linked to climate change, biodiversity, agri-food, urban and regional development, circularity, as well as organisational development. The conference tracks support discussions with a focus on:

Theory: Advancing the concept of the Resource Nexus and its relevance for policy and practice
Technologies: Addressing the conception, design, and societal embeddedness of technical resource solutions and infrastructures
Governance: Understanding (collective) problem-solving strategies, policy designs, and implementation processes
Health and wellbeing: Examining interlinkages between resource systems, human health, and liveability
Society and justice: Exploring disparities and inequalities in resource access and distribution
Data: Identifying Resource Nexus data needs and contributing to data integration and interpretation
Sustainability Assessment: Embedding the economic, ecological, and social dimensions of sustainability in their temporal and spatial contexts
emergent perspectives (open track)

Focus on Biodiversity
While the conference generally discusses all of the above topics related to the Resource Nexus, each conference edition foregrounds one overarching theme that is given special attention. DNC2022 focuses on “Biodiversity – Stewardship for Vital Resources”, following immediately the celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May 2022).
Biodiversity forms one of the cross-cutting challenges for the Resource Nexus. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) already recognises the intrinsic value of biodiversity and its ecological, social, economic, cultural, and aesthetic value. CBD also calls for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its various components, as well as the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of underlying genetic resources. However, the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services states that out of eight million animal and plant species worldwide, around one million are threatened with extinction and such biodiversity loss represents the most significant crossing of planetary boundaries beyond a safe operating space (Rockström et al. 2009).
To reverse the trend of biodiversity loss by 2030, an effective post-2020 agenda learning from the progress made by the Aichi Targets of the UN Decade on Biodiversity, but also from the obvious shortcomings and challenges ahead, is pivotal. According to the World Wildlife Fund For Nature (WWF), while greater species protection and more protected areas are hugely important, they will not in themselves reverse current trends: it is also vital that we change patterns of land use and/or food production and consumption. The European Commission intends to suggest such legally binding targets by the end of 2021, not least to also further contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.
For science, it is therefore vital to conceive of socio-ecological systems in a variety of ways in order to map their reciprocity, dynamics, and complexities. In doing so, we can identify and establish leverage points for instruments, strategies, and landscape planning as well as values and worldviews that help to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems at different scales and to create impact. Against the backdrop of global urbanisation and the cumulative effects of biodiversity degradation and climate change, there is an urgent need to analyse and evaluate diverse individual and collective human-nature relationships in urban areas and to regulate these in the context of nature-based solutions and combined grey-green infrastructure. Examples of such positive trends are urban agriculture and the promotion of more balanced human-food relationships. These aims are also reflected by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), which was designed to spotlight the need for significantly increased global cooperation to restore degraded and destroyed biodiversity and ecosystems.
Programme
The full programme is available here.
Sessions
The session list is available here.
Registration
Register here.
Further Information
More information regarding the conference is available here.

Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development 2022
2022-05-23 03:15 (America/New_York)
Building resilience to climate-security risks in the Sahel: Insights from research and practices
Water and climate expert of the FREXUS project from Niger, Abdou Boko, Boubacar (GIZ), will be speaking together with representatives from the European Center for Development Policy Management and Mercy Corps.
This session will provide practical and policy solutions to better manage transboundary climate and security risks in the Sahel. It seeks to deepen the understanding of governing and civil society actors at local, national, and regional level to building resilience against such risks. This session is for practitioners, policymaker and researchers working in the climate and security domains in the Sahel who are interested in concrete, solution-oriented approaches to respond to climate and security risks.
About the Forum
23 May 2022 09:00 – 25 May 2022 16:00
The 2022 Forum is jointly organised by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will be held in a hybrid format, with sessions held online and in person at Münchenbryggeriet, Stockholm.
This year’s Forum will explore ways to enable an environment of peace in the face of converging crises. Against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the Forum will discuss long-term global challenges in the midst of the immediate security crisis. What needs to change within the economy, institutions, governments, organizations, companies and societies to sustain the natural environment, biodiversity and human progress while sustaining peace and security according to the goals set out in Agenda 2030?
Forum registration and programme
For online participation, click here to set up your personal account.
Download the full Forum Agenda to see further details about the event.
Further Information
For additional enquiries on the 2022 Forum, please contact the organising team.
For more information, visit the Forum webpage.
