Partner Projects

Penn State

  • Penn State strategic plan: Penn State has made a commitment to being a  leader in creating comprehensive solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change and address the challenges of providing safe and abundant water, clean and renewable energy sources, and plentiful and nutritious food
  • LandscapeU: Penn State’s NRT-INFEWS entitled LandscapeU focuses on “transdisciplinary learning outcomes” in the Chesapeake Bay

Michigan State

  • Alliance for Africa Project: seeks to promote sustainable, effective, and equitable long-term partnerships among African institutions, Michigan State University, and other international collaborators. The AAP strives to build networks across all sectors (universities, NGOs, government, and private sector) to engage with development challenges that fall within our thematic areas
  • ARISEE platform: funded and hosted by MSU-AAP and by Dr. Sieglinde Snapp, which proposes to bring researchers from multiple African nations together to document best strategies for sustainable agricultural intensification on the continent, using agro-ecological principles
  • Water Science Network:  an effort to link the many water-related research and programs across MSU’s campus. The Network’s goal is to build rapid synergies and working relationships among faculty, facilitate joint research grants, and promote MSU as a center of excellence in water

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

  • Assessing the State of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus in South Africa WRC K5/2790/4: The general aim of the project is to conduct a review of available information and knowledge about the Water – Energy – Food nexus in South Africa. Secondly, the project also aims to conduct a state-of-the-art literature review on past, present and ongoing work on the Water – Energy – Food nexus focusing on current status, potential, challenges and opportunities for intersectoral WEF Nexus planning
  • Exploring the evidence of water energy food nexus K5/2718: Establishing the state of the art of Water Energy Food nexus research and understanding in South Africa as a guide for future research projects
  • From theory to practice: developing a case study and guidelines for WEF nexus: Developing WEF nexus tools to conduct a regional assessment for Southern Africa for achievement of water, energy and food security; sustainable natural resources management and job and wealth creation

IHE-DELFT

  • EU Nexus Cluster; SIM4Nexus: aims to predict society-wide impacts of resource use and relevant policies on sectors such as agriculture, water, biodiversity and ecosystem services through a model-based analysis

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

  • Advancing Research on Nutrition and Agriculture (ARENA):  objective of ARENA is to close important knowledge gaps on the links between nutrition and agriculture, with a particular focus on conducting policy-relevant research at scale and crowding in more research on this issue by creating data sets and analytical tools that can benefit the broader research community
  • Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Nexus Generation (Africa Rising): offers demand-driven, locally tailored, and resource-saving agricultural innovations for sustainable intensification to improve household welfare and at the same time enhance sustainability. The program works at the scale of smallholder farm household and, as necessary, at the landscape level
  • Assessment of the Roles of Irrigation for Climate Change Adaptation in Africa: several studies have moved this topic forward, but much of this work has yet to be implemented. IFPRI is currently looking into various funding opportunities for this work. The analysis will use multi data analyses, modeling tools as well as qualitative tools to assess the role of irrigation in CSA in Africa south of the Sahara. Many of the supporting tools have already been developed and are listed in the set of outputs
  • Enhancing Groundwater Simulation in the Impact-Water Model: This study develops a spatially explicit groundwater balance module, including groundwater storage dynamics in shallow and deep aquifers and recharge and discharge processes taking place in shallow aquifers, using existing hydrological and hydrogeological information for major aquifers around the world.
  • Ethiopian Energy Development Strategy: aims to provide evidence-based policy recommendations for optimal use of the country’s energy resources to improve electricity access, promote energy security and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions to contribute to mitigating climate change. It contributes to the design of policies and strategies that minimize investment risk for scaling up clean technologies for power generation in Ethiopia
  • Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI): a five-year project that aims to benefit farmers of Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania by improving effective use of scarce water supplies through interventions in small-scale irrigation. It is a part of the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future Initiative

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)

Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES)

AU/NEPAD CoE

West Africa Science Service Center on Climate Change (WASCAL)

  • WASCAL observation networks : a multi-stakeholder framework of observatories & sensors which shares data, co-designs and co-implements observation activities such as i) rehabilitation of sites ii) increasing the number of stations; iii) digitizing paper/microfiche archives of data; iv) improving data processing techniques; and v) train technical staff involved in observations & related services.
  • WASCAL CoC: Competence Centre, scientific arm of WASCAL
  • 12 PhD and Master Programmes

Waterlution

  • Youth and young leaders programs: innovate dynamic, topical and creative methods and opportunities to facilitate young leaders with the fundamental 21st century skills needed to move forward as employable individuals ready to face the demands of the future

WEF Nexus Index Tool

This is a country-level composite indicator developed using the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus as its guiding framework.