Building the Synergy for Water-Energy-Food Security: the Nexus

PerspectiveChayanis Krittasudthacheewa, Holger Hoff, Vishal Mehta, Brian Joyce, David Yates

Panel Discussion on Water-Food-Energy Nexus Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI): “Strengthening the ASEAN Community

through STI Collaboration”9-10th November, Bangkok, Thailand

Climate, water, energy, food and emissions are intricately linked

+

Water supply is influenced by climate. Climate changes hydrology and we can adapt to those changes by re-operating infrastructure

Source: Vishal

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• Climate also influences both water and electricity demand.

• When it’s hot, we use more electricity for air conditioning; and more water for agricultural production.

• When its cold, we use more energy for space heating.

Source: Vishal

Meanwhile energy generation needs a lot of water, for the mining and processing of fuels, cooling of thermal and nuclear powerplants, and the production of hydropower …

Source: Vishal

…while energy is needed for pumping and treating water and waste-water, and for various uses at home …

Source: Vishal

…and fossil fuel combustion for energy production emits climate changing GHGs

Source: Vishal

"It remains important to work on sectoral solutions with sectoralexpertise and data, and not lower ambitions by simply referring to the

nexus (`everything is connected with everything else’).”Holger Holf, March 2012 quoted in IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks)

Source: Vishal

So, clear links between climate, water, energy and food

Overview1. Challenges and tightening constraints2. Water, energy and food security nexus3. Opportunities to improve water, energy and food security4. Nexus in the context of ASEAN countries5. Conclusions6. References7. Acknowledgement

Source: Hoff, 2011

1. Challenges and Tightening Constraints

1. Degrading ecosystem services2. Rapidly increased demand: agricultural production will have to

increase by 70% by 2050 & 50% more primary energy by 20353. Climate change: likely to aggravate pressure on resources, so add to

the vulnerability of people and ecosystems,4. Urbanization continues apace: half of the world’s pop. lives in cities,

now 1 billion urban slum dwellers and will increase to 2 billion by 2030.5. Globalization (e.g. trade, FDI):

+bring technological innovation, job and provide resources, economic connectedness, exposes to global market~If externalities are accounted for or ‘internalized’ can the benefits of globalization be shared equitably and natural capital maintained.

Source: Liu et al 2008

Globalization Meat Consumption in China

water use for food (per capita)

China‘s soy imports increase by 20% per year….

largely from Brazil –with soy exports increasing by 15% per year….

Meat Consumption in ChinaGlobalization

sustainable and inclusive intensification (Green Economy)?

loss of soil & vegetation carbon from Cerrado

greater rural inequity

externalities:

soy cultivation, Cerradosugar cane further south

externalities:

pushing the agricultural frontier into Amazonia

new development corridors through Amazonia

for port accessannual deforestation ratesof up to 25,000 km2

annual deforestation ratesof up to 25,000 km2

Wassenaar et al 2007

croplandexpansion

pasture expansion

deforestation hotspots

pushing the agricultural frontier into the Amazon

new development corridors for port access

annual deforestation rates of up to 25,000 km2

increasing risk of „savannization“if deforestation „tipping point“ is reached

Nobre et al 2009

pushing the agricultural frontier into the Amazon

new development corridors for port access

annual deforestation rates of up to 25,000 km2

„teleconnections“

increasing risk of „savannization“if deforestation „tipping point“ is reached

Marengo et al 2009

potentially affectingwater supply in theLa Plata basin

1 500

2 000

2 500

3 000

3 500

4 000

USA EU 15 Mexico Brazil Nigeria Kenya India Bangla Indone China

Aver

age

per c

aptia

food

supp

ly(k

ilo ca

lorie

s per

per

son

per d

ay)

For every country the columns represent : 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001

Animal calories

Vegetal calories

Source: Lannerstad 2009

Will the rest of the world follow China (or Europe)?

18

Tradeoffs may increase resource squeeze

photovoltaics

concentrating solar power

gas coal / oil / nuclear

hydropower biofuels

m3 / MWh ~ 0 ~ 2 ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 60 ~ 180

e.g.: water intensity of electricity generation

e.g.: energy intensity of water production

surface water ground water reused wastewater

desalination

factor 10 higher for desalination (”bottled electricity”)

Externalities of mono-sectoral optimization Hoff, 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/

2. Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus

SEI’s nexus diagram

Source: Joyce, B.

2. Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus

• Nexus approach – an approach that integrates management andgovernance across sectors and scales. A nexus approach can alsosupport the transition to a Green Economy, which aims, among otherthings, at resource use efficiency and greater policy coherence.

• Nexus approach can boost this potential by addressing externalitiesacross sectors. For example, nexus thinking would address the energyintensity of desalination, or water demands in renewable energyproduction or water demands of afforestation for carbon storage.

• Water is an essential input for all biomass growth and hence for allecosystem services and associated jobs and livelihoods. Improvedwater resources and intact ecosystems (‘natural infrastructure’) canmutually reinforce each other and generate additional benefits.

3. Opportunities to improve water, energy and food security (1/2)

• Nexus approach can support a transition to sustainability,by reducing trade-offs and generating additional benefits that outweigh the transaction costs associated with stronger integration across sectors.

• Such gains should appeal to national interest and encourage governments, the private sector and civil society to engage.

3. Opportunities to improve water, energy and food security (2/2)

1. Increasing resource productivity2. Using waste as a resource in multi-use systems3. Stimulating development through economic

incentives .4. Governance, institutions and policy coherence5. Benefiting from productive ecosystems6. Integrated poverty alleviation and green growth7. Capacity building and awareness raising

Software Development Approach

Building a dialog between water and energy practitioners.

23

Capacity building and awareness raising

Links 2 Decision Support Platforms

Integrated Climate-Water-Energy-Emissions Framework

WEAP• climate-driven hydrology • climate-driven sectoral wate

demand• water systems operation• water allocation

LEAP• climate-driven electricity

demand • electricity production and

dispatch from various fuels• GHG emissions

Source: Vishal

Long range Energy Alternatives Planning Systemwww.energycommunity.org • Integrated energy planning and GHG mitigation assessment.• Local, national, regional and global applicability.• Energy, emissions and cost-benefit assessment.• Powerful and user-friendly data management, reporting & scenario

building tools.• Choice of methods: simulation/optimization &

engineering/econometrics. Specialized models available for detailed assessment of transport and electric generation sectors.

• 1000s of users in 190 countries including Governments, NGOs, utilities, universities, consulting companies.

• Widely applied by countries undertaking GHG mitigation assessments for their National Communications to the UNFCCC, and for developing Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS).

Source: Joyce, B.

• Explores how global energy systems can be reconfigured to address sustainability whilst also providing meaningful development and poverty alleviation.

• Study led by SEI with involvement of IIASA, PBL, TERI and WRI.

• Energy and emissions scenarios to 2050 developed in LEAP for 22 global regions.

• Three scenarios:– Baseline– Basic Energy Access– Shared Development Agenda

• Published at Rio+20

Emissions

Poverty

Energy for a Shared Development Agenda: A Global Assessment for Rio+20, 2012

Source: Joyce, B.

Water Evaluation And Planning Systemwww.weap21.org

• Integrated watershed hydrology and water planning model

• GIS-based, graphical drag & drop interface• Physical simulation of water demands and supplies• Additional simulation modeling: modeling equations

and links to spreadsheets, scripts & other models• Scenario management capabilities• Groundwater, water quality, reservoir, hydropower and

financial modules

Source: Joyce, B.

WEAP Application in Northeast Thailand

Schematic view of Huai SaiBat River Basin, Thailand

Results of Development Scenarios

4. Nexus related issues in the Context of ASEAN countries

• Hydropower development• Development of biofuels• Irrigation Development• Desalination• Sewerage Treatment • Agriculture structure• Energy for fertilizers• Etc.

Source: Joyce, B.

Exploring Mekong Region Futures –nexus on food, water and energy investment

Source: CSIRO, 2010

NE Thailand Futures Study

Objective: introduce multiple-objective oriented planning based on information on the food-energy-water nexus and climate change, land-use and migration, in order to create planning scenarios and the design of a reasonable policy and decision making options.

Bioenergy Development in IndonesiaStudies reveal palm oil impacts in Southeast Asia, propose EU

policy changes

SEI research shows that asproduction has soared to meetglobal demand, driven in part by theEU-RED, communities have beenharmed. EU policies should berevised to ensure sustainability!

• Palm oil grown in tropical countries is one of the main sources of biodiesel.

• Indonesia and Malaysia, which together produce 90% of the world’s palm oil.

• A major driver of recent growth in palm oil production is the EU market for biofuels.

• The EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (EU-RED) has set a target of meeting 10% of the European transport sector’s energy needs with renewable energy by 2020 increase in the use of biodiesel, which accounts for over three-quarters of EU biofuelsconsumption.

A palm oil plantation in Indonesia, the world’s top producer. Flickr/Rainforest Action Network.

INVITATION TO

Regional seminar on “Palm oil and bio-energy strategies in South East Asia:

Review of field lessons and exploring ways ahead”(Experience from Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia)

15th – 16th November 2012Landmark Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

138 Sukhumvit RdRoom: Sukhumvit 6, 3rd floor

Registration/InformationThe seminar welcomes a maximum of 40 people

and advance registration is required. Please register & seek further information via Christin

Laschinger (christin.laschinger@gmx.net) or Sarah Chong (sjchong.89@gmail.com)

The New Forest of Indonesia - Oil Palm, Kalimantan 2005 (http://www.flickr.com)

Sustainable Mekong Research NetworkSUMERNET (2005- present)

http://www.sumernet.org/

• Long-term research network (www.sumernet.org) • Aim to inform and influence policy development on

sustainable development issues in the Mekong region by strengthening knowledge-based policy processes

• Now a total of 46 member institutes (e.g. academic, government, NGOs, CSO, private sector, media), supporting more than 100 researchers

• Five research areas - ten cross-border collaborating projects including those related to nexus

• Ecosystem services, resource use and impacts;• Trans-boundary issues; • Energy & climate change; • Poverty and livelihoods;• Sustainable urbanisation

Nexus thinking is complexCost of inaction is higher than pro-active adaptation

Key challenge: reconciling global goals and human security

Human rights can‘t wait!We need to collaborate cross sector, cross scale, and cross border

5. CONCLUSIONS

One vision, one identity,

one community

6. References 1. Economist (2010): The miracle of the Cerrado, 26 August 20102. Hoff, H. (2011): Understanding the Nexus. Background Paper for the

Bonn2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus. Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm.

3. Liu J., Savenije H.H.G. (2008): Food consumption patterns and their effect on water requirement in China, HESS, 12, 887-898

4. SEI (2012): The Oil Palm Sector: Community Grievances and Water Governance in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia and How the EU Can Revise its Biofuel Policies to Promote 'Sustainable' Palm Oil Cultivation in Southeast Asia, policy briefs. Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm. (http://www.sei-international.org/-news-archive/2491)

7. Acknowledgement 1. Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)2. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)3. Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid)4. UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)5. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)6. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)7. Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)8. TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute9. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)10. World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF)11. Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte (DIMR)12. Global Water Partnership (GWP)13. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)14. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)15. World Bank (WB)16. World Economic Forum (WEF)

THANK YOU!

http://www.sei-international.org

Contact: Chayanis KRITTASUDTHACHEEWA, Ph.D.(Ms)Deputy Director, Stockholm Environment Institute - Asia (SEI-Asia)15th Floor, Witthyakit Building, 254 Chulalongkorn University,Soi Chula 64, Phyathai Road, Pathumwan Sub-district,Pathumwan District, Bangkok 10330, THAILAND.Tel: +66 (0)2 251 4415 (ext. 101)Fax: +66 (0)2 251 4419E-mail: chayanis.k@sei-international.org