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Assessing Interdependencies between Energy, Water, Land-use and Climate Change
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
I11006CRP
1805Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
21 January 2016Description
The CRP will review, test and apply prototype methodologies to analyze Climate-, Land-, Energy-, Water- (CLEW) interrelations to selected case studies. These analyses will demonstrate and quantify tradeoffs associated with interventions to meet development goals (specifically food, fuel and water supply).
Objectives
The specific objective will be to develop case studies that will be used to develop and implement a framework illustrating:The interactions within the CLEW systemHow those interactions can be harmonised and conflicts reconciled.? Of particular interest is:how reduced forms of the results of specialized modelling and analysis efforts can be integrated or linkedhow the underlying cost, energy and mass balances, as well as other dynamics can be harmonisedDemonstrate specific policy considerations that benefit from an integrated approach
Specific objectives
To further methodologies to analyze Climate-, Land-, Energy-, Water- (CLEW) interrelations by application to selected case studies. These methodologies will demonstrate and quantify tradeoffs associated with interventions to meet development goals (specifically food, fuel and water supply)
Impact
The CRP was instrumental in advancing the state of knowledge of linkages between CLEW domains and establishing and testing new methodologies to support integrated resource planning in IAEA member countries. The strong foundation provided by the CRP has enabled the IAEA to support MSs to enhance their integrated planning for the energy sector and other resources by continuing to refine the CLEW methodology, develop additional material for capacity building and build partnerships with relevant UN and other experts. Of particular note, following the CRP the CLEW approach was adopted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), which included the CLEW framework in the suite of tools it offers in capacity building activities to support sustainable development policy and the SDGs. Close to 20 countries have initiated national capacity building projects on CLEW with the support of the IAEA, UNDESA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Other specific impacts and activities include the IAEA's contribution in 2016 and 2017 to the development and delivery of training material on CLEW (lectures, exercises, data visualization) and the establishment of a formal collaboration on CLEW with UNDP. Together with UNDESA and the UN Industrial Development Organization, the IAEA also showcased the CLEW framework at the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The work from the CRP has also enabled the IAEA, with partners, to consistently support increasing interest from MSs for CLEW capacity building through the annual ICTP Joint Summer School on Modelling Tools for Sustainable Development, and more recently, the Energy Modelling Platforms for Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. The CRP's impact continues today, with the IAEA currently developing additional capacity building material (a CLEW demo case and methodology handbook) and recently conducting a Regional Training on Energy Data Collection, Analysis and integrated assessment of Climate Land Energy and Water (CLEW) in the Caribbean. Further reflecting the continued and increasing interest among member states and other stakeholders, at the recent UNFCCC COP27, the IAEA conducted two events on the CLEW nexus together with the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNDESA, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and other partners.
Looking ahead, the fundamental basis provided by the CRP and other early work on CLEW allows the IAEA to respond to the needs of MSs with a planned Regional Project on Developing, Expanding and Reinforcing Energy Planning Capabilities in Africa (planned for 2024-25) and a regional project on integrated assessment of Climate Land Energy and Water (CLEW) in Latin American and Caribbean countries (from 2024 onwards).
Relevance
Throughout the CRP and in the years after, the objectives to address, through quantitative and qualitative assessment, the interactions and interrelations of the water, energy and food security nexus have become increasing relevant and widely recognized as critical to many elements of sustainable development. Already in 2011, the Bonn Nexus conference highlighted the interconnected nature of meeting humanity's food, energy and water demands, confirming that these are not three separate objectives, but three interlinked challenges that require an integrated approach to achieve sustainable development. MS governments also identified “food security and sustainable agriculture”, “water supply and sanitation” and “energy”, and the need for "nexus" thinking, as top priority areas in their responses to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) questionnaire issued by UNDESA. The first edition of the UN Global Sustainable Development Report included a special chapter on the climate, land, energy and water development nexus, borrowing the IAEA term for this initiative (and the CRP participants have all contributed to this report). The need for integrated approaches was subsequently reflected in the 17 SDGs adopted by the international community in 2015. Since this time, a growing number of governments, universities, research institutes and development agencies have established activities in this area, and member states are increasingly requesting support from IAEA and other UN agencies to integrate CLEW into their energy and other resource planning (see 'Impact of the CRP' above).