Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem
(WEFe) NEXUS
WEFe
Framework
(WEFeF).
The WEFe Nexus concept has become widely used in the recent years. Water, energy, food and ecosystems (WEFe) are no longer considered as separate and isolated topics but rather interconnected components of a complex system. Water is needed in the production of food and energy while energy is required for the storage and distribution of food as well as in water extraction, conveyance and treatment. Natural resources and ecosystems services also underlie water, food, and energy security. Any limitation in one of the inputs would disturb the availability of the others.
WEFe Nexus is beyond a conceptual idea, the Nexus approach integrates management and governance across the multiple sectors of water, energy, food and ecosystems. However, previous research has been more focused on the theoretical concept but tools to support Nexus implementation in practice are still in early phases of development.
BONEX objectives are to provide practical and adapted tools, examine concrete and context-adapted technological innovations, enhance policies and governance and facilitate WEFe Nexus practical implementation that balances the social, economic, and ecological trade-offs.
With this purpose, the project aims to produce a novel, robust, transdisciplinary, and diagnostic WEFe Bridging Framework (named WEFeF) to serve the production of context-specific Nexus Bridging Plans (NBPs) tailored to different innovative technologies and its combination (e.g. solar powered water reuse, agrivoltaics, and solar irrigation) and socioeconomic contexts across the MedRegion. The WEFeF combines methods in a context-specific manner, mobilizing transdisciplinary collaboration to go beyond disciplinary silos and integrate system, practice, and transformation knowledge.
The framework and innovative WEFe Nexus solution approaches will be iteratively developed and tested in 7 carefully selected Demonstration Projects (DP) covering a diversity of MedRegion contexts, challenges, and technologies to ensure that results are truly replicable and that wide socio-ecological and cultural diversity of the MedRegion is considered. WEFeF and NBPs will be developed throughout multi-actor processes, with close collaboration of all value chain relevant actors, such as researchers, farmers’ organizations, businesses in the agro-food chain, public administration, technology providers, civil society organizations, and consumers as much as it will consider the creation of non-market values from the WEFE Nexus.
BONEX Community of Practice
The main challenge of the project is to effectively influence stakeholders and thus trigger a real change in the current policies and practices and removing barriers to sustainable WEFe solutions. Stakeholders’ commitment will be achieved thanks to a strong and active involvement of local and regional actors that will altogether form a Community of Practice.
Within BONEX project it will be 3 different target groups of stakeholders with different level of engagement in project activities:
Global network including the two previous levels as well as general public and stakeholders from target groups which are not engaged in the RWGs, and related projects and initiatives.
Lower level of engagement but also important to ensure acceptance of project results and tools and create long-term demand for WEFE Nexus approaches.
Extended beyond DP countries to all the MedRegion.
Key stakeholders representing groups in each DP region with an interest in WEFe Nexus: authorities, policy makers SMEs, farmers, energy sector, consultants, NGOs, rights holders.
RWGs will participate in the workshops and will be engaged in the NBP development providing their inputs.
Regular meetings will be organized to get feedback on the project results and activities.
RWGs will be focused on potential end-users for BONEX solutions in the DPs.
Strategic key stakeholders will support DP leaders in the building of RWGs, actively participate in the project activities early users of BONEX WEFef 2.0 and REWAS 2.0.
Coordinate efforts between RWGs of the different countries.
Moreover, numerous stakeholders have already expressed
their support to BONEX to join the BONEX Community of
Practice:
