Water-Energy: Innovation&Partnerships

An overview presentation by Engin KONCAGÜLWWAP Programme Officer15 January 2014, Zaragoza

Interlinkages

• By 2035, worldwide energy demand is projected to grow by more than one-third and demand for electricity is expected to grow by 70%.

• Global water demand in terms of water withdrawals is projected to increase by some 55% by 2050.

• By 2030, half of world population will be living in areas of high water stress.

Towards a nexus approach

• Challenges are well known, but have so far been addressed in isolation, within sectoral boundaries.

• If water, energy (and food) security are to be simultaneously achieved, decision-makers, including those responsible for only a single sector, need to consider broader influences and cross-sectoral impacts.

• We must strive for innovative policies incorporating new political and economic frameworks and integrated institutions. – Water development and management programmes, if planned properly, can

serve multiple functions, from contributing to energy and food production to helping communities adapt to climate change.

• A nexus approach to sectoral management, through enhanced dialogue, collaboration and coordination, is needed to ensure that co-benefits and trade-offs are considered and that appropriate safeguards are put in place.

World Water Development Report (WWDR) 2014

• Innovative approaches:– Cross-sector cooperation to leverage possible synergies, – integrated planning for water and energy to decrease costs and ensure

sustainability, – assessing trade-offs at the national level, demand-side interventions,

and decentralized services.• Enabling Environment:

– Developing coherent national policies and creation of legal and institutional frameworks,

– Ensuring reliable data and statistics to make and monitor decisions,– Encouraging awareness through education, training and public

information media, – Ensuring availability of finance,– Supporting innovation and research into technological development.

SOLUTIONS&OPPORTUNITIES:CASE STUDIES

• Case studies featured in the WWDR highlights innovative approaches to water-energy nexus:– Solar powered seawater desalination plants in Saudi Arabia,– Drinking water hydropower stations in Vienna,– Water and electricity utility companies collaborating to

improve efficiency in production and delivery in Austin, – Generating charcoal and biogas from wastewater in Japan,– Energy self sufficient wastewater treatment plant in Vienna.

PANELISTS• Mark Smith: The International Union for

Conservation of Nature (IUCN)• Enrique Playan: European Joint

Programming Initiative (JPI)• Paul Yillia: International Institute for Applied

Systems Analysis (IIASA)• Prof. Paolo Fulignati: University of Pisa, Italy

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

• The world's oldest and largest global environmental network dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to most pressing environment and development challenges"

• Supports scientific research and builds partnerships: – More than 1,000 government, NGO and private sector

member organizations, – 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

• IUCN is leading the ‘Nexus Dialogue on Water Infrastructure Solutions’ to bring together key actors from all three sectors to build partnerships needed to take practical, collaborative steps in creating and implementing water infrastructure solutions that will accelerate action on optimisation of the nexus.

• Delivery of a series of three regional workshops: Africa (May 2013), Latin America (September 2013) and Asia (scheduled for March 2014) to identify:– Practical steps to develop solutions,– Technical, institutional, financing and political barriers.

European Joint Programming Initiative (JPI)

• The objective of joint programming is to ‘increase the value of relevant national and EU research and development funding by concerted and joint planning, implementation and evaluation of national research programmes’.

• Supports implementation of one European Research area to generate European solutions.

ES

FR

IE

IT

DE

NLPL

TR

ROHU

FI

UK

SE

EL

AT

DK

CY

Partner (19+1)Observer (5)Total (24+1)

BE

PT

EC

IL

LV

Water JPI

NO

MD

EE

Harmonize national water R-D-I activities

Involve 2/3 of public R-D-I investment

European Joint Programming Initiative (JPI)

• The grand challenge: “Achieving Sustainable Water Systems for a Sustainable Economy in Europe and Abroad”

Research and innovation agenda includes:Maintaining Ecosystem Sustainability,Developing safe water systems for the citizens,Promoting competitiveness in the water industry, Implementing a water-wise bio-based economy,Closing the water cycle gap.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

IIASA conducts policy-oriented research into problems that are too large or too complex to be solved by a single country or academic discipline.

- A research hub bringing together a wide spectrum of scientists,

- Research network extending to 65 countries,- Systems analysis put into the service of society to

improve human and social wellbeing and protect ecosystems.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

- Ongoing research partnership with UNESCO to develop a Scenarios project on “Water Futures and Solutions”,

- In-depth examination of a selected set of drivers which have an impact on use of water resources.

Italy-Umbria Region• A science-based tool for integrating

geothermal resources into regional energy planning – Sustainable and environmentally friendly energy.