WEF Nexus

FAO Water-Energy-Food Nexus Webinar Series Session 9 - Selected experiences with WEF Nexus decision-making: an application in Jordan
2021-06-08 13:00 - 14:30 UTC
This webinar series is organized by the FAO in collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. This ninth session of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus webinar series will summarize the experience of stakeholders in Jordan applying the Water Energy Food (WEF) nexus process, as well as the outcomes of the analyses as implemented under the direction of FAO.
Date and Time
June 8, 2021 | 13:00-14:30 GMT+2
Background
The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Webinar series is organized by FAO, in collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The series introduces nexus concepts and gives examples of current efforts and best practices in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region and beyond. Through this series, participants will gain an understanding of the importance of nexus concepts and learn how to identify nexus challenges, as well as find appropriate nexus solutions to achieve sustainability, resilience, and water security. This series is developed under 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). This project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Session Description
This session will be presented by Francesco Fuso-Nerini and Camilo Ramirez Gomez from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), and Annette Huber-Lee from Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
It will summarize the experience of stakeholders in Jordan applying the Water Energy Food (WEF) nexus process, as well as the outcomes of the analyses as implemented under the direction of FAO. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the WEF nexus integrated platform, followed by a Q&A session.
Registration
Register here for Session 9 on Zoom and visit the SEI event page here.
Detail program agenda is here.

Hybrid Conference on Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021
2021-06-12 12:00 - 2021-06-15 23:45
The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2021 (SRI2021) is the world’s first transdisciplinary gathering in sustainability – it will be a space of fierce advocacy for sustainability scholarship, innovation, collaboration and action. This annual event unites global sustainability leaders, experts, industry and innovators to inspire action and promote a sustainability transformation. For the first time, the Congress will launch as a live virtual event with a diverse and innovative online program. In addition to the 100+ sessions available throughout the day and night, thanks to the global reach of SRI and partners, the SRI2021 Online Package includes exclusive events and services.
SRI2021 will be live virtual event, with a diverse and innovative online program. SRI2021 will take place at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-15 June, 2021. Click here for registration.

All registrants will access content and opportunities to connect prior, during and after SRI2021, making the Congress the foremost home of sustainability research, innovation and practice.
Pre-congress offerings include SRI Talks, trainings and other engagements. During SRI2021, registrants have a unique opportunity to build relationships, share knowledge, expertise and experience, and seek partnership opportunities on our innovative virtual platform. Keep the conversations going and revisit sessions on the virtual platform in the days and months that follow SRI2021.

2021 Congress Pillars:

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH: Flipping the script on sustainability, introducing perspectives and lessons from the Global South, finding partners in the Global North, and exploring the differences.

INTEGRATED ACTION FOR THE SDGs: Identifying pathways to societal transformation, mapping actors, and evaluating synergies, trade-offs and risks.

ADVOCATING KNOWLEDGE-TO-ACTION: Advancing sustainability science through knowledge co-design.

SUSTAINABILITY FOR WHOM?:Encouraging diversity and inclusion to advance sustainability throughout generations.

RESILIENCE: Research and innovation which builds our capacity to deal with disturbances to function and flourish.

Learn more here.

Zero Hunger Pathways Project Dialogue 3: Trade-Offs Evaluation and Science-Policy Communication
2021-06-14 16:00 - 18:00
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to the third dialogue hosted by SDSN USA’s Zero Hunger Working Group: Trade-OffsEvaluation and Science-Policy Communication on June 14, 2021, from 4:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern Time.
This 2-hour virtual event will engage participants in a discussion on the hunger crisis in the United States, including causes, context, responses, and opportunities, through the lenses of equity, resilience, sustainability, and health/nutrition.
This ZHPP dialogue will focus on identifying: 1) tools and models to evaluate pathways for improving food and nutrition security in the US; 2) multi-faceted evaluation metrics that reflect food systems sustainability, equitability, resilience, and health outcomes; 3) mechanisms and barriers for proper stakeholder engagement and trade-off dialogue; 4) mechanisms and barriers for science-policy communication. This event aims to bring together cross-disciplinary scientists and expert groups as well as cross-sectoral stakeholders and policymakers.
The dialogue is the third in a series of conversations focusing on barriers and opportunities to achieve Zero Hunger in the United States, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The dialogue series will contribute to a report outlining social, policy, and technical recommendations to reach Zero Hunger and identifying education, engagement, and research activities the SDSN USA coalition and partners can undertake to reach Zero Hunger in the United States by 2030.
We invite you to join as an active participant in this dialogue and to share with colleagues whose expertise and interests are relevant to the topic.
Registration is required. Click here.
Contact usa@unsdsn.org if you have specific accessibility needs or questions about the event.

Posted in Zero Hunger
Tagged Zero Hunger

Digital Forum: European Development Days 2021
2021-06-15 09:30 - 2021-06-16 18:00
The theme of the 14th edition of the European Development Days is ‘The Green Deal for a Sustainable Future’. It will take place in a digital format on June 15 and 16, 2021.

Biodiversity loss, climate change and environmental degradation are defining challenges of our generation and require more coordinated and incisive international efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the interlinkages between human health and an healthy planet. The post COVID recovery should be an opportunity to build back greener and more inclusive societies and economies.
In this respect, the European Development Days will provide a decisive moment for analysis and reflection on the road to the CBD COP15 in Kunming in October and the Glasgow COP26 in November 2021.
Picked sessions on WEF Nexus
The following is only a selected list of sessions. You can find the full agenda here.

It’s a match?! Linking Water, Energy and Food with the Private & Finance Sectors. The role of the private and finance sectors in increasing smallholder agricultural productivity and eradicating hunger in Africa.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 17:20 to 18:05.
Nexus, Digitalisation and Human Capital for a Green-Deal in Transboundary Waters. Human capacity development, new technologies, connectivity and tools for better-informed development policies and promote sustainable employment for youth across sectors.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 15:10 to 15:55.
Biodiversity conservation and water harvesting for climate commitments in LAC. Ancestral knowledge and modern economic tools to enhance socio-ecological resilience.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 11:40 to 11:50.
Predicting conflicts: The Water, Peace & Security partnership Early Warning Tool. Using machine learning, data and analysis to monitor water-related security threats and identify conflicts hotspots for timely action.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 16:10 to 16:55.

More information about the EDD and this year’s agenda are available here.

Joint NEX-LABS, FAO and PHEMAC webinar: Supporting Water Energy and Food Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean
2021-06-17 13:00 - 14:30
The NEX-LABS project is co-organizing this webinar in collaboration with the United Nations’ FAO, PHEMAC project and with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
In this event, two support perspectives are presented aiming to demonstrate the Water, Energy and Food Nexus in practice.
The first comes from the ongoing PHEMAC project, funded under the ‘Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area‘ Programme (PRIMA) showing the opportunities offered by the interactive iHub platform and its different modules to stimulate the visibility and use of NEXUS R&I results connecting the NEXUS stakeholders’ demand and offer.
The second, from the ongoing NEX-LABS project, illustrates opportunities to motivate entrepreneurial attitudes of NEXUS stakeholders and young EU-Mediterranean Partner Countries’ entrepreneurs to develop novel technologies or services to face NEXUS challenges, productivity enhancement programs to strengthen NEXUS value chains through different options of vouchers and grants or tools to identify regional NEXUS stakeholders and scenarios as a result of future Nexus Driven Open Living Labs implementation derived from a Nexus Joint Action Plan.
The event will take place on Thursday 17th June from 13:00 CEST to 14:30 CEST.
Click here to register.

WORKSHOP AGENDA

13:00-13:10 – A NEXUS story. From 5TOI to WEF-CAP, Dr. Gustavo Pérez (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
13:10-13:25 – PHEMAC iHuB platform, Dr. Majid AlSadek (Egyptian Center for Innovation & Technology Development); Mr. Danilo Giacomi (Net7)
13:25-13:40 – Landscape identification for clustering scenarios to implement NDOLLS tackling the policy capitalization, Dr. Amr Radwan (Academy of Scientific Research & Technology); Dr. Rana El-Hajj (American University of Beirut)
13:40-13:55 – Consolidation and buildup of a networking strategy to support the establishment of reference Nexus Living Labs in the Southern Mediterranean, Ms. Krystel Khalil (Berytech)
13:40-13:55 – Motivation of WEF NEXUS entrepreneurial attitude, Dr. Mohammed Aljafari (Royal Scientific Society)
14:00-14:30 – Q&A and discussion, Prof. Manuel Valiente & Dr. Gustavo Pérez (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Welcome to AquaTech Hackathon 2021
2021-06-26 09:00 - 2021-06-27 17:00
Aqua refers to anything relating to water; living in or near water, taking place in water. As such, Aqua Technology (or AquaTech) refers to technologies built to address or improve water-related cases, and to fast-track sustainable solutions for Africa’s water-energy-food nexus challenges.
An AquaTech Hackathon, hosted by The Business Clinic will take place virtually with a focus on the Eastern Cape province on 26 – 27 June 2021. This is a response to challenge creative thinking, unearthing, and the development of solutions to address this growing challenge in order to protect this precious resource.
Throughout the weekend, the participating teams will engage in the process of ideating and using technological tools to build solutions in response to the challenges. Mentors and representatives of the stakeholder will provide guidance and assistance to the teams as they develop minimal viable products.
Facilitated by ICT organization Geekulcha, the hackathon will focus on aqua technologies’ solution development to help unearth innovation in the water space. The hackathon will encourage participants to ideate and develop Minimal Viable Product (MVP) solutions on the theme of AquaTech.
Hackathon winners will also have the opportunity to pitch to the 4IR AquaTech Accelerator, a 6-month mentorship-driven program that is designed to identify, develop, support, fund, and up-scale a new generation of 4IR enabled solutions.
Click here to Register.

Consumer behavior and healthy diets: International Academy (IAFoST) Scientific Roundtable Discussion (SRD)
2021-07-01 08:00 - 09:30
This roundtable discussion organized by the academy council will discuss the role of consumer perceptions, food habits, cultural influences, gender, socio-economic and other factors including poverty and urbanization on food choices and food consumption patterns and their effects on nutrition and health including diet-related, non-communicable diseases, and the need
for advocacy and public enlightenment on nutritious and healthy diets for food security and wellness to help inform and strengthen the scientific resource on these subjects.
Chairs:
Academy Presiding Officer Dr. Aman Wirakartakumah and Academy Presiding Officer Elect Dr. Charles Aworh
ROUNDTABLE SPEAKERS:
Professor Sir Charles Godfray, Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, UK
Dr. Pavinee Chinachotti, Chair, Food Innovation, and Regulation Network (FIRN) Thailand
Dr. Sebastiano Porretta, Senior Researcher, Italian Ministry of Economic Development, Italy
Dr. Caroline Smith DeWaal, EatSafe, Gain, USA
Dr. Petra Klassen Wigger, Global R&D Scientific Advisor Nutrition and Health, Nestle, Switzerland
Click here to register.
Originally posted.

Sign-Up: IWRA Master Classes on Water Cooperation & Diplomacy
2021-07-08 17:00 - 19:30
The International Water Resources Association (IWRA) in collaboration with the Universities Partnership for Water Cooperation and Diplomacy (UPWCD), are excited to launch a new online series of master classes on Water Cooperation & Diplomacy that will take place on the months of July, September and early October this year.
This series of ten weekly classes (see indicative programme here), will be held for two and half hours each, divided into:

Public lectures: A 90-minute session, freely accessible and open to all; followed by,
Skill-building workshops: Each session will run for 60 minutes, only for IWRA Gold and Silver members, as well as UPWCD students and members. Registration will be on a first come first serve basis, as limited places are available.

Confirmed dates and times:

Every Thursday of July, starting on July 1st until July 29th
Every Thursday of September, starting on September 2nd until September 30th except for Thursday, September 16th, which is a religious holiday
The first Thursday of October. This is on October 7th.

More description is available here.

The Role of Sustainable Intensification for Achieving Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa
2021-07-19 15:00 - 17:00
By 2050, the world’s population could grow to 9.7 billion, food demand is expected to increase by 50% and global demand for grains such as maize, rice, and wheat could increase by 70%.
In Africa, food insecurity has been rising in recent years and the continent is not on track to eliminate hunger by 2030. The population is growing rapidly and needs an abundant supply of affordable and nutritious food. On the other hand, stakeholders such as small-scale farmers do not have the right incentives and access to investments for raising productivity. At the same time, agriculture is a major contributor to the balance of payments for African economies and needs to meet both domestic demands as well as maintain its place in international trade.
We are delighted to invite you to “The Role of Sustainable Intensification for Achieving Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa”, an online Independent Dialogue promoted under the auspices of the UN/FAO Food Systems Summit.
The Dialogue will be held online on July 19, 2021 from 2PM WAT / 3PM CEST / 4PM EAT. Register here to receive the Zoom link and preliminary agenda.
Posted from.

Sustainable food cultures: how our appetites can transform our cities
2021-07-20 14:00 - 17:00
Description:
Food cultures in urban spaces are ever-shifting and are expressed in both tangible and intangible ways. As Africa’s urban population is rapidly growing, the question around ‘what is on the menu’ of urban dwellers is increasingly becoming important to understand and address. This is because of the powerful and intricate way in which choices around food are linked to urban infrastructure, health, and wellbeing of the citizens, diversity, and inclusion as well as nature and climate.
This webinar will explore what sustainable food cultures mean through the lenses of different actors across the urban food system. It will attempt to break down and understand the power structures around food, food-related infrastructure and celebrate food and the connections it makes. Moreover, the webinar will explore what the building blocks are for a food culture that meets people’s nutritional needs and centers agency, independence, sustainability, resilience, and autonomy. It will do this through storytelling, history, photography, and highlighting ongoing initiatives that are shaping our experiences of the food system in our cities.

International Water Association (IWA) Webinar on Earth Observation technologies for water quality management
2021-07-21 15:00 - 17:00
The International Water Association Webinar on Earth Observation technologies for water quality management, featuring GEO AquaWatch Director Steve Greb and GEO AquaWatch Management Team member Blake Schaeffer, is taking place on 21st July 2021 at 15:00 CEST.
DESCRIPTION
Across various parts of the water sector – from water treatment plants to hydropower to aquaculture – preparing and adapting to risks in a planned manner is far more efficient than reacting to a major system failure. For this reason, having the tools and capability to predict and respond in advance to potential water quality (and quantity) risks can improve environmental performance while lowering costs.
In this framework, there is great potential in the application of Earth Observation (EO) technologies in the water sector. EO technology combined with the modeling of highly complex, dynamic systems can provide monitoring and forecasting information of water quality and quantity. This information can guide water professionals in making quick and data-informed decisions, achieve regulatory compliance at a low cost, and improve the day-to-day performance of operations.
This webinar will explore how EO technology is being applied across the water sector to better manage water quality issues such as algal blooms and turbidity.
Learning Objectives
Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

Gain perspectives on the application of EO technologies in water quality management in different parts of the water sector.
Recognize how EO technologies can be integrated into existing decision support systems to help prepare and respond to water quality hazards
Navigate and access groups to engage further on this topic (e.g. GEO AquaWatch, PrimeWater H2020 EU project).

Host
International Water Association
Panelists

Erin Urquhart PACE Applications Coordinator at NASA GSFC (Webinar Chair)
Steve Greb Associate fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Aquatic Sciences Center and GEOAquaWatch Director
Apostolos Tzimas Managing Director at EMVIS Consultant Engineers and International coordinator of EU H2020 project PrimeWater
Maria Antonietta Dessena Geologist at Ente Acque della Sardegna (ENAS)
Blake Schaeffer Research Scientist at US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Registration is required. Click here.
Originally posted.

Strengthening Water-Energy-Food Nexus to expand small-scale farmer-led irrigation solutions for climate-friendly and more resilient food systems
2021-07-26 13:30 - 14:30
Session Description:
On the occasion of the UNFSS 2021 Pre-Summit July 26 and 28, we would like to announce and cordially invite you to the affiliated session organized by WE4F, IWMI, World Bank, FAO, and WFP: Strengthening Water-Energy-Food Nexus to expand small-scale farmer-led irrigation solutions for climate-friendly and more resilient food systems. This event is hosted by GIZ and will occur virtually. The moderator is Lucie Pluschke (WE4F).
The current global food system is under pressure due to climate change and population growth. Climate change adaptation is urgent and we must rethink the way resources (especially water/energy) are used from farm to fork. Farms need to become future-proof by applying innovative (NEXUS) solutions. Here, smallholder farmers have a key role – producing 80% of food in low- and middle-income countries but being most vulnerable to climate change and having limited access to innovations and finance. We need to join forces and develop transformative multi-stakeholder approaches for smallholders and innovators to scale water- and energy-efficient innovations for climate-resilient food systems. Therefore, the session will stress the importance and share experiences of multi-stakeholder partnerships to accelerate and scale Water-Energy-Food Nexus solutions across scale and food value chains.
How to Join:

The UNFSS Pre-Summit is open to all of you – digital, worldwide, and free of charge. You only need to register here.
You will be able to join the session via this MS Team Meeting link.
Find more information here.

1st Virtual Water Energy Food (WEF) Nexus Masterclass for Southern Africa
2021-07-27 08:00 - 2021-07-29 23:00
The WEF Nexus Winter Masterclass will introduce the state-of-the-art nexus research, presenting completed and currently ongoing cutting-edge approaches from various WEF nexus projects in the region and from abroad. The Masterclass will be novel and innovative and will draw specifically on outputs from the WEFTools project (https://wef-tools.un-ihe.org/project). Although some conceptual and theoretical background to the WEF nexus will be provided, the emphasis is to impart practical skills that can be applied to complete WEF Nexus assessments and to support the development of appropriate policy and management responses. The master class will be totally virtual.

The WEFE nexus approach: International experiences and potential for the Hindu Kush Himalaya
2021-08-11 13:30 - 16:30
We’re collaborating with the Transboundary Rivers of South Asia (TROSA), OXFAM, and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Water Convention, in organizing this webinar to increase understanding of the WEFE nexus framework, its methods and practices, its implementation in the HKH region and beyond, and its applicability in the HKH, particularly in a transboundary context.
Objectives

Share existing WEFE frameworks and approaches developed or adopted by different organizations in the HKH and beyond
Share experiences on the implementation of the WEFE nexus in different parts of the world and lessons drawn from those experiences
Discuss opportunities and challenges, and explore the potentials in implementing WEFE nexus in the HKH, including in a transboundary context

The webinar is targeted to:

Practitioners working on WEFE nexus implementation
Researchers working on WEFE nexus implementation issues and challenges
Representatives from government organizations working on river basin and landscape management and governance
Representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations working on transboundary issues in the HKH

Registration is required. Click here to register.
Check out the full program agenda and further details here.

World Water Week 2021
2021-08-23 - 2021-08-27
World Water Week is the leading conference on global water issues and in 2021 it will be held as a digital event 23-27 August. The Week attracts participants from more than 130 countries and with many different professional backgrounds. World Water Week is a non-profit event, co-created together with leading organizations. It offers an unusual mix of participants and perspectives, with sessions on a broad array of water-related topics, ranging from food security and health to agriculture, technology, biodiversity, and the climate crisis.
With a focus on collaboration and shared learning, World Water Week is an important catalyst for change and attracts leading researchers, decision-makers, business representatives, NGOs, students, and international organizations. We try to create a welcoming and informal atmosphere where it is easy to get to know people and collaborate on solving real-world problems. The Week attracts many decision-makers who come here to get new inspiration and form alliances that can influence other international processes such as the global climate talks. Registration is required.
Click here for registration.
Posted from SIWI World Water Week Website.

Achieving resilience through the water, food and climate nexus: The Feed Africa Imperative
2021-08-23 13:00 - 15:00
Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) cordially invites you to a virtual session on “Achieving resilience through the water, food, and climate nexus: The Feed Africa Imperative” -a virtual forum in commemoration of the 2021 World Water Week.
Date: 23 August 2021
Time: 1pm – 3pm (GMT)
Venue: Zoom
Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Martin Fregene, Director, Agriculture, and Agro-Industry, AfDB
Dr. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Strategic Program Director (IWMI) – Water, Food & Ecosystems, IWMI
Mr. Osward Mulenga Chanda, Acting Director, Water Development and Sanitation, AfDB

Panelists:
Dr. Olufunke Cofie, Principal Researcher & Regional Representative, IWMI
Dr. Ernest Asiedu, TAAT Rice Compact Leader, AfricaRice
Dr. Sanders Zwart, TAAT Water Compact Leader, IWMI
Moderator:
Dr. Kwesi Atta-Krah
Please click here to register: https://bit.ly/3AU2CoS

From risks to returns - WEFE Nexus solutions for climate resilience
2021-08-24 15:00 - 16:00
The Nexus Regional Dialogues Programme, together with UNECE and IDB, is pleased to invite you to the session From risks to returns: WEFE Nexus solutions for climate resilience on Tuesday, 24 August 2021, 3 – 4 PM CET at the virtual Stockholm World Water Week 2021.
Discuss with policy-makers, project developers, and project financing experts:

How do we leverage financing for integrated natural resources projects?
What are the key characteristics of successful WEFE Nexus project pitches?
What are existing financial instruments or mechanisms beneficial for taking up integrated natural resources projects?

The session will be in English with translation to French and Spanish. Sign up now here.

The Political Economy of Food System Industrialization: Argo-processing, Industrial Policy and Inclusive Development
2021-08-31 17:00 - 22:30
The conference addresses critical issues in food systems in Africa drawing, in particular, on the IIAP project in South Africa and Tanzania. This online event examines food system industrialization in Africa. Food systems are undergoing rapid change due to urbanization, shifts in consumer demands for more highly processed foods, and technological changes along value chains. These patterns are driving the expansion of agro-processing, the value-adding activities between harvest and retail. The conference is hosted by the Innovation and Inclusive Industrialisation in Agro-processing research project.
Food system industrialization is often assumed to provide opportunities for small, rural firms and marginalized groups in a process of ‘inclusive’ industrialization. However, there are forces including technological change, scale economies, and the application of standards which have often underpinned greater concentration and vertical integration in value chains with the expansion of large firms such as multinational food manufacturing conglomerates and supermarket chains. Even what would conventionally be seen as ‘fresh’ produce requires increasingly sophisticated industrial-style processes between farmers and end consumers. These trends are typically referred to as the industrialization of food, a process that creates formidable challenges for small enterprises and marginalized producers.
The issues concerning inclusion in and control of the food system are political as well as economic, in particular concerning the role of government policies in shaping trajectories of change and the complex inter-relations between states and powerful interest groups in the production of food. The conference will present original research on Tanzania, South Africa, and other African countries, and draw out wider policy implications. The contrastive comparative approach provides deep insights into how differing historical and institutional factors shape the evolution of food systems and the prospects for inclusive growth. The conference will promote reflections on a range of related political economy issues related to food systems industrialization including contrasts between distinct types of market economies, the role of power and institutions, competition policy as well as industrial and agricultural policies. These features are crucial for shaping more inclusive development trajectories as well as responding to the climate emergency challenges.
Click here to register.
Originally posted.

Food, Nature, People
2021-09-02 12:00 - 15:30
A CIFOR-ICRAF event with the Global Landscapes Forum supported by the CGIAR Research Program on Forests Trees and Agroforestry.
Food, nature, and people are the three essential elements of our food system. When these elements are in balance, our food system provides nutritious food and livelihoods and supports natural systems like biodiversity, nutrient and water cycles, and a stable climate. Unfortunately, our food system is out of balance, threatening people and communities around the world. To reverse this dangerous trend, we need to implement solutions at scale, quickly. This half-day digital event will show the way forward, by providing actionable scientific evidence to build sustainable landscapes and by connecting with people on the ground to share knowledge and experience and fundamentally transform agriculture and land management. By rebuilding resilient food systems, supporting sustainable use of forests, trees, and other healthy landscapes, we can adapt to the crises we have created. Join this virtual event on September 2, 2021, to become part of the solution.
Check out the detailed program agenda along with the list of panelists.

Climate Change and Sustainable Energy
2021-09-02 14:00 - 17:00
About the workshop
“How can the African-European cooperation in climate change and sustainable energy be strengthened and where are the chances, constraints, and needs?”
The R&I partnership ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Energy’ of the AU-EU High-Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology, and Innovation (HLPD) will discuss with the workshop´s participants in four break-out sessions the necessary actions and responsibilities to be tackled

Knowledge & research
Technology development and demonstration & innovative markets
Capacity building, social sciences, humanities & resilience behavior
Good governance and policies

The workshop is considered a follow-up of the first CCSE workshop which took place in February 2021 and focused on climate change and sustainable energy in relation to COVID-19 recovery and resilience packages as well as the health-energy climate nexus.
The event will involve research and international institutions, academia, funding agencies, the private sector, and policymakers to provide guidance for future cooperation.
Please find the agenda here.

CMRA 2021 Summer School
2021-09-05 08:00 - 2021-09-12 17:00
Modelling approaches for climate risk and climate change adaptions in the context of sustainable intensification in semi-arid West Africa
The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) invite applications for an international summer school that will take place at the ICRISAT regional headquarter in Bamako, Mali.
Applications are invited from highly-motivated middle stage PhD students and postdocs from West Africa and Germany with a background in agricultural or environmental sciences and some prior modelling experience.
The summer school aims to enhance awareness of the state of the art in crop modelling for addressing climate risk and sustainable intensification among the region’s next generation of researchers and agricultural policy makers. It is designed to provide students with a broad overview of system’s analysis, best practices in model application climate change impact assessments, as well as emerging applications and challenges for crop modelling to support sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems. Students will be equipped with knowledge and skills to use crop models in the design and assessment of resilient and productive cropping systems.
Offered in French and English, the course will combine lectures with international experts, together with hands-on tutorials, and group work and discussions. The maximum number of participants is 26.
Date
The summer school has been planned for September 5–12, 2021 ( Please note that depending on how the COVID-19 situation evolves, the time and/or location might still need to be changed)
​
Location
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Bamako, Mali
Fees
Travel costs, visa fees (if required), food and accommodation will be covered for successful applicants.
The Summer School is financially supported by the:

© 2020 by VolkswagenStiftung
© Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e. V. Müncheberg
Copyright 2019 @ ICRISAT, All Right Reserved

AGRF Summit 2021: Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems
2021-09-06 - 2021-10-10
The eleventh Annual Summit of the AGRF, which brings together thousands of delegates from governments, the civil society, the private sector, research community, and development partners will be held virtually from 6-10 September 2021 and will be co-hosted by the Government of Kenya and the AGRF Partners Group. Events begin on Monday, September 6.
2021 is a critical year for recovery and food system transformation. This year’s AGRF Summit will explore the pathways and actions needed to accelerate this process and steer the continent towards food systems that: deliver sufficient and nutritious food, do not impact the environment negatively and create sustainable, dignified jobs, and shared prosperity for Africa.
The Summit aims to deliver the following outcomes:

Articulate an African vision on inclusive agricultural transformation
Reflect on emerging coalitions
Identify priority country-level areas for support and intervention
Complement public commitments with commitments from other stakeholders
Catalyze an action agenda towards the UN Food Systems Summit

Click here for further information and registration requirements.

The Nexus of Law and Water: Recent developments in the rights of nature and ecocide
2021-09-07 13:00 - 17:00
Holistic legal definitions for environmental concerns have proven elusive – but recent developments have pushed forward the acceptance of the Rights of Nature and a shared and accepted definition of Ecocide. These changes are driven by many factors including an escalation of litigation related to climate change in jurisdictions around the world and grassroots activist movements. As a result, we are witnessing a growing recognition at the national and international scale. The Right to Healthy Environment has been enshrined in a growing number of countries and cited in court filings and rulings. In June 2021 an independent expert panel led to a consensus on a core text of a definition of ecocide as an international crime.
This webinar, organized by the IWRA Water Security Taskforce, will address both the developments and the influences that the Right to a Healthy Environment and the definition of Ecocide have on each other and what it entails for the future. Our panel will consider the drivers for this movement and provide a clearer understanding as to what these developments mean for our rivers, mountains, forests, and the health of our planet at large.

Topics

The Evolution of Environmental Rights
Reshaping the human relationship with water: what happens when a river becomes a person
Rights of Rivers and Beyond
Re-mainstreaming rivers through advocacy (activism, media, and legal fight). Case Study- Turagh river
Climate Litigation in Brazil: is it enough?

Panelists:
John H. Knox – Professor, Wake Forest University, USA
Dr. Erin O’Donnell – Fellow, University of Melbourne, Australia
Shrishtee Bajpai – Founder, Rights of Rivers South Asia Alliance, India
Mohammad Azaz – Chairman, River, and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), Bangladesh
Guilherme Pratti – PH.D. Student, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies Pisa, Italy
Moderated by: Dr. Amrisha Pandey, Assistant Professor of Law, Gujarat Maritime University.
Click here to register for the webinar.
Originally posted.

Wastewater and Emerging Pollutants: Unfolding A Toxic Story
2021-09-09 08:00 - 09:30
This webinar aims to discuss the matters of heavy metal contamination, microplastics, and nutrients with reference to wastewater. It will focus on case studies, projects, and examples that will present the current trends and ways to tackle these issues.
Registration is required. Click here.

Wastewater and Emerging Pollutants: Unfolding A Toxic Story
2021-09-09 15:00 - 16:30
Background:
Emerging pollutants is a term used by water quality professionals to describe contaminants that have been detected in water bodies. These may cause harm to human health and the ecological systems and are typically not governed under the current environmental laws, posing as a greater risk to our livelihood.
Heavy metal contamination is an issue of utmost importance as it has harmful effects on both, the environment and on humans. Some of these negative impacts include the death of aquatic life, algal blooms, habitat destruction from sedimentation, debris, increased water flow, other short and long-term toxicity from chemical contaminants. The main threats to human health from heavy metals are associated, for example, with exposure to lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. Most of the plastic produced in the world is not recycled but ends up in landfills or open dumps which makes it more likely to reach rivers, lakes, and eventually oceans. Microplastics (MPs), defined as less than 5 mm in diameter, can be directly released in the water or formed by the degradation of bigger pieces. Many issues are linked to the presence of MPs in water, such as damage to airways and stomachs of animals, blocking canals and sewers, and creating breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Excessive nutrient loading is a major threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide that leads to profound changes in aquatic biodiversity and biogeochemical processes. Nutrients in excess can come from various sources. They can occur naturally, however, human-related inputs are much greater than natural inputs.
This webinar aims to discuss these matters with reference to wastewater and will focus on case studies, projects, and examples that will present the current trends and ways to tackle these issues.
Join the webinar on Thursday, 9 September 2021, from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Nairobi time (EAT). Please register using this link.
Organizer:
The Global Wastewater Initiative (GW²I) is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together UN agencies, international organizations, governments, scientists, the private sector, and non-profit organizations with the goal of information-sharing and cooperation for an effective and comprehensive response to the challenges posed by wastewater management.
The GW²I is chaired by Turkey and hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Together with its partners and through the Global Wastewater Initiative, UNEP seeks to enhance the understanding of wastewater as a resource and works on various issues related to sustainable wastewater management including policy guidelines, technology, knowledge generation, capacity building, and awareness-raising that contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goal 6, target 6.3.1, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater discharged in our water bodies.
Do you want to join the Initiative? Please contact riccardo.zennaro@un.org and avantika.singh@un.org.
Speakers:
Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa – Programme Specialist, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO
Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa is a Programme Specialist for water quality in the Division of Water Sciences—the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) of UNESCO in Paris. Working for UNESCO since 2007, Sarantuyaa leads IHP activities on water quality and wastewater management, including the UNESCO Project on Emerging Pollutants in Water and Wastewater, which aims to enhance and generate knowledge, promoting research, providing policy advice, and building human capacities on emerging pollutants. Sarantuyaa has a Postdoctoral Degree in Environment and Sustainable Development Policy and a Doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering. Before joining UNESCO, she worked at the United Nations University in Tokyo.
Javier Mateo-Sagasta – Senior Researcher and Coordinator on Water Quality, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Javier has 20 years of experience as an agricultural engineer and environmental scientist in programs and projects aiming at the control of water pollution, the safe use of marginal quality water in agriculture, integrated water resources management, and sustainable agricultural production in both developed and developing countries. In IWMI Javier is a senior researcher and coordinates IWMI’s work on water quality across research groups. Javier is the chair of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Global Water Quality Alliance, a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Wastewater Initiative, and a member of the Management Team of the CGIAR Anti-Microbial Resistance Hub. He currently leads the “ReWaterMENA project, and undertakes regional and global assessments on wastewater, water pollution, and resource recovery and reuse with UN partners.
Ramesh Ramachandran – Director, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM)
As Former Chair of Future Coasts (formerly Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone; LOICZ) from 2011 to 2015, Prof. Dr. Ramesh implemented the LOICZ Nutrient Budget for major estuaries on the east and west coast of India among several other studies globally. For the past decade, Ramesh Ramachandran has been involved in coupled land-ocean interface studies, its management, to aid policy decisions of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change. As the Founder Director of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, several trans-disciplinary research studies spanning coastal vulnerability, socio-economic development, coastal/ marine conservation, spatial planning, land-based pollution, island management, integrated coastal zone management, and climate change are being undertaken under his leadership. Currently, he is also chairing the steering committee of Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM)-UNEP.
The webinar will be moderated by Riccardo Zennaro, Associate Programme Officer, UNEP, and Avantika Singh, Intern, UNEP.
Riccardo is an Associate Programme Officer for wastewater management at UNEP in Nairobi, Kenya. He is passionate about wastewater management and sanitation and has experience working on environmental and water-related programmes and projects in Europe and Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Technology and International Affairs.
Avantika is supporting the wastewater management portfolio at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya. She has recently completed her under graduation in Genetic engineering from Chennai, India. She has also interned with AstraZeneca in Bangalore, India, and has worked with wastewater during this period as well. She aims to be able to contribute effectively towards improving the current water management and sanitation scenario in developing countries and make an overall impact on the environment. Avantika looks forward to completing a Master’s degree in the associated fields to become an effective contributor.
The original webinar announcement is available here.

Advocating For Ecosystems and WASH: A Blended Learning Course - Call for Registration
2021-09-13 - 2021-09-30
Course Dates: September 13-30, 2021
Number spaces available: 15
Course registration form: https://forms.gle/fjEt12LykoZrjkfs6

Advocacy plays an important role in creating and sustaining momentum for progress on conservation and human health policies. While multi-sectoral initiatives have been gaining attention in recent years, there are still many policy platforms that fail to recognize the critical links between human and ecosystem health. This includes a comprehensive water policy that links freshwater ecosystem conservation with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) planning and infrastructure maintenance.

In 2020, the African Biodiversity Collaborative Group, Conservation International, and IRC launched the Freshwater Conservation and WASH Advocacy Strategy Workshop Facilitator’s Guide. In addition, IRC launched WASH Systems Academy online, virtual course Advocacy for Universal WASH Services. These two resources combined inspired the creation of a blended learning course that combines facilitated virtual instruction with self-guided activities, group discussions, and feedback labs to build the capacity of individuals working on WASH and ecosystems implementing programs.

This course lays out steps for conservation, health, and development practitioners to develop an advocacy strategy to design messaging and activities to urge donors, policymakers, and colleagues of the need to unite and join forces for conservation and health. Advocacy is a critical step in enabling integrated freshwater conservation-WASH management and must be closely tied to ongoing stakeholder engagement and field implementation of freshwater management strategies. Click here to listen to a webinar recording that gives an overview of the course.

This is an application/expression of interest form for the upcoming blended learning course Advocating for Ecosystems and WASH which will take place September 13-30, 2021.

To apply for one of the 15 places in the course, kindly use this application form: https://forms.gle/fjEt12LykoZrjkfs6

Applications will be reviewed, and spaces confirmed on a first-come-first-served basis.

Contact Information
Please contact Colleen Sorto (csorto@conservation.org) or Elynn Walter (walter@ircwash.org) with any questions.

Disaster resilience and risk in the context on Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Insights from Africa
2021-09-14 13:30 - 15:00
This is the first session of the 2nd Round of Webinar on Water-Energy-Food Nexus. It focuses on NEXUS SOLUTIONS.
This session #1 covers the disasters such as droughts, floods, fires, pests, and diseases that expose millions of people in Africa to food, water, and energy insecurity that have been exacerbated by climate change. Disasters create huge humanitarian needs with impacts on household livelihoods and hamper long-term investments. All this is intensified by inadequate information to enable risk-informed decisions. This seminar discusses different approaches across Africa to prevent, mitigate and address disaster risk and resilience, specifically through a water-energy-food nexus lens with solutions in mind.
Registration is required. Click here now.
WORKSHOP AGENDA
1. Introduction by Michael Jacobson, Penn State University.
2. “Examples of the water-energy-food nexus as they appear in different regions across Africa and the multiple ways in which the nexus is manifested” by Arthur Chapman, University of Stellenbosch.
3. “Rainwater Harvesting for Water Security in Uganda” by Francesca O’Hanlon, postdoctoral researcher/CEO Blue Tap
4. “Household energy-related risk issues, fire risk, and resilience among low-income settlements in Cape Town South Africa” by Alberto Francioli, Stellenbosch University
5. “Nexus- DR3 linkages on a new mission for governance to achieve SDGs” by Catalina Spataru, University College London
6. Open discussion
To get information on the remaining webinar sessions, click here!
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-sheetnexus-regional-dialogues-programme-phase-ii), and SEI (https://www.sei.org).

Water-Energy-Food Nexus Webinar series 2nd Round, 2021 on “Solutions Using Water-Energy-Food Nexus Approaches”
2021-09-14 13:30 - 2021-12-14 15:00
The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is a useful framework for addressing complex transdisciplinary natural resource and environmental challenges in integrated, innovative ways. This webinar series explores using and operationalizing WEF nexus approaches for finding solutions to these challenges. The series focuses on examples and solutions by linking and using WEF nexus approaches to timely interventions, technologies, and issues of importance, especially in the context of COVID-19 and climate change.

This webinar series is organized by FAO & WEF Nexus in Africa Initiative, WE4F, GIZ Nexus Dialogues, and SEI.

Session 1: Disaster resilience and risk in the context on Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Insights from Africa
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | 13:30 – 15:00 Register Now!
A detailed description of session 1 is available here!

Session 2: Cooperation across borders and sectors: Experiences from the SADC region on institutionalizing the WEF nexus approach

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 | 13:30 – 15:00 Register Now!
A detailed description of session 2 is available here!

Session 3: Sustainable electricity production by integrated food, energy, and water systems: opportunities and challenges

Tuesday, November 16, 2021 | 13:30 – 15:00 Register Now!
A detailed description of session 3 is available here!

Session 4: Beyond traditional financing models for smallholders and other end-users in the water-energy-food nexus: challenges and innovative solutions
Tuesday, December 14, 2021 | 13:30 – 15:00 Register Now!

A detailed description of session 4 is available here!

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).

Email: 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: WEF Nexus in Africa Initiative wefnexus.org – Water and Energy for Food https://we4f.org GIZ Nexus Dialogues https://www.water-energy-food.org/resources/fact-sheet-nexus-regional-dialogues-programme-phase-ii, and Stockholm Environment Institute https://www.sei.org/

Symposium on the Food-Water-Energy Nexus at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences
2021-09-14 16:00 - 2021-09-15 17:00
A CityGML based shared urban platform development to maximize synergies in the food, water, and energy sectors is the focus of the FWE IN-SOURCE project. Coordinated at the HFT Stuttgart, teams in Vienna, New York City, and Stuttgart work jointly on technological and socioeconomic research questions. In this final event, the project team would like to present their own results as well as exchange experiences with other FWE Nexus projects. We look forward to welcoming you to this hybrid Symposium on 14 and 15 September.

Session 1
Tuesday, 14. Sept.: CityGML, Common Database Food-Water-Energy ADE & Case Studies
Stuttgart/Vienna 16.00-18.00 / New York 10.00-12.00 am

Welcome and Introduction
Rushikesh Padsala: Development and applications of the CityGML FWE ADE
Reiner Braun (guest): Using 3D CityGML for the Modeling of the Food Waste and Wastewater Generation—A Case Study for the City of Montréal
Florian Weidinger & Lisa Kaufmann: HANPP footprint of densly populated areas – insights from two case studies in Ludwigsburg and Vienna
Alfred Helble: The Food-Water-Energy Nexus: Influence and development of the water sector
Cecilia Dong, Roberto Rojas-Cessa and Ahmed Mohamed: Comparative Analysis of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emission of Diesel and Electric Trucks for Food Distribution in Gowanus District of New York City

Session 2
Wednesday 15. Sept.: IN-SOURCE VisToolBox, Lessons Learned & Next Steps
Stuttgart/Vienna 13.30-17.00 / New York 7.30-11.00 am (with break)

Ernst Gebetsroither-Geringer: VisToolBox Introduction
Lisa Kaufmann, Barbara Smetschka & Anna Kozlowska: Analysing and presenting footprints of urban land-use and food supply in Vienna – the interactive HANPP Explorer
Keyu Bao: A comprehensive bottom-up simulation tool for assessing regional food, water, and energy demands and potentials
Ernst Gebetsroither-Geringer: FWE Land Use Simulator
Michael Bobker: a visual reference guide to urban FEW infrastructures
Jeffrey Raven: From Climate Research to Climate Action

Lessons learned and next steps

Michael Bobker: Gaining Infrastructure Agency Engagement

Participation is free of charge. On-site participation is limited (depending on the pandemic situation). The conference language is English. Participants who join the conference online will receive the access code by e-mail.
Click here to register.
Originally posted.

UN Food Systems Summit
2021-09-23
The UN Food Systems Summit has confirmed that the Summit will take place on Thursday, September 23, 2021. The event will be held during the UN General Assembly in New York and will take the form of a virtual event.
The Summit will follow the three-day Pre-Summit gathering in Rome last week (July 26-28), during which Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, outlined the expectations for the Summit, which include:

A statement of action from the UN Secretary-General
A compendium of the Summit’s two-year preparations
National dialogues and pathways for food systems to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030
Coalitions cutting across the five Action Tracks and incorporating the four Levers of Change around key areas
A follow-up and review process supported by the UN and its agencies

Details for media accreditation will be announced in due course.
Notes to editors
For more information, contact FSScommunications@un.org
About the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit
The UN Food Systems Summit was announced by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on World Food Day last October as a part of the Decade of Action for delivery on the SDGs by 2030. The aim of the Summit is to deliver progress on all 17 of the SDGs through a food systems approach, leveraging the interconnectedness of food systems to global challenges such as hunger, climate change, poverty, and inequality. More information about the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and a list of Advisory Committee and Scientific Group members can be found online: https://www.un.org/foodsystemssummit
Click here to register for the summit.
The event announcement is originally posted here.
