AEWEN organised on 9th of May a webinar on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. The nexus approach is being developed and studied by companies, research institutes and universities. The webinar was the opportunity for some of them to present their projects and the main challenges of the nexus.
As an introduction, the PRIMA Foundation defined what the WEF Nexus is and the challenges it faces. Adopting a cross-sectoral approach is a way to achieve the sustainable development goals. Multiple projects have already been carried out in the Mediterranean region, including the WEFE4Med project presented by the Cyprus Institute.
Research is being carried out on the nexus, as outlined by Politecnico di Milano, which aims to understand the impact that water infrastructures can have on ecosystems, water supply and energy production. Research is being carried out on African river basins, where over 300 dam projects are planned.
The private sector also has a role to play. For example, the company Iridra is demonstrating innovative solutions for wastewater treatment while integrating synergies with food and energy in the framework on the Hydrousa project. Green City Wallonie has developed a photovoltaic greenhouse to optimise crops and generate power, which can be used for water pumping. While Iris is working on the circular economy and reuse of water in the project Ô.
You can replay the webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkR3hurchWM">replay to learn more about the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and the various projects.