Food, water, energy nexus as an adaptation mechanism golam rasul
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Transcript of Food, water, energy nexus as an adaptation mechanism golam rasul
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal
Food-Water-Energy Nexus
Approach: An Option for
Adaptation to Climate Change
in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan
Region
Golam Rasul, Theme Leader, Livelihoods
April 30, 2014
Outline
1. Evolving approaches of adaptation
2. Different aspects of Nexus approach
3. Nexus approach and adaptation
4. Relevance of nexus approach in South Asia
5. Nexus challenges in South Asia
6. Role of Himalayas in Nexus security
7. Conclusions & Recommendations
Characteri
stics
1990s 2000s 2010s +
Overall
objective
Reducing climate
risks & impacts
Reducing climate risks
& uncertainties
Reducing climate risks &
impacts with socio-economic
improvements
Mainstreaming climate
change adaptation into development
Scope Sector-based
approach, location
specific
Sector based, but
adaptation
mainstreamed into
sectoral planning
Trans-sector and trans-
boundary approaches
Focus of activities
Protective: coping strategies, protection of those most vulnerable to climate risks
Preventive: coping strategies, prevention of damaging strategies arising from risks to climate-sensitive livelihoods
Transformative: building adaptive capacity, transforming social relations, address underlying social & political vulnerability
Evolving approaches to adaptation to climate
change
Nexus Approach
• Nexus approach is a system-wise approach
– Provide a framework for assessing trade-offs & synergies
– Improve resource use efficiency
– Support minimizing trade-offs, maximizing synergies
– Generate co-benefits through harnessing
complementarities
– The nexus approach encourage mutually beneficial
responses and enhance the potential for cooperation
between & among all sectors.
Interdependencies of Food, Water, Energy and Ecosystem Services
Himalayan Ecosystem Services
Provisioning Regulating Supporting Cultural
• Food, fodder, fuel
• Fresh water
• Minerals
• Raw materials
• Pollination
• Genetic resources
• Climate regulation
• Water regulation
• Biological control
• Disturbance regulation
• Regulating precipitation,
monsoon
• Recharging ground water
• Soil formation
• Erosion control
• Water retention
• Nutrient cycling,
movement
• Traditional
knowledge and
practices of
conservation
• recreation,
• Agro-biodiversity
Enhanced Food, Water,
Energy Security
Food and Agriculture
Water EnergyWater need for energy, energy for water
Energy policy influences water demand & vice versa
Food, water, Energy: Trade-off & Synergies
• Competition
– Land - for food, energy, hydropower, ecosystem
– Water – for food, energy
– Energy - for agriculture, water
• Complementarities
– Agriculture contributes to energy-biomass, energy crops,
biofuels.
– Better agricultural practices > conserve watersheds >
water availability in dry season
– Good water management, e.g., irrigation efficiency >
reduce demand for water & energy
– Growing biofuels in unused land > energy security, food
security
Food, water, Energy: Trade-off & Synergies
• Policy linkages– Agric. Policy > water & energy demand
– Energy policy > energy & water demand
– Water policy > irrigation, agric., energy supply
– Energy prices may divert land for energy crops– affect
food security
• Challenge- minimize trade-offs, maximize
synergies
• Subsidizing energy for irrigation > agric production >
overexploitation of groundwater - threatened long-term
agricultural sustainability.
Nexus Approach and Adaptation
• Most adaptation measures are sectoral or project driven
• Sectoral approach promote cross-sectoral externalities
and Mal-adaptation
• Understanding the interlinkages between the water,
energy, and food is vital for devising sustainable
adaptation strategy
• Nexus can be a pathway to climate adaptation and
sustainable development through enhancing synergies
and complementarities
• Why Nexus Approach Critical for Food,
Water, Energy Security in South Asia
Nexus Approach in South Asia
• With 3% of land, SA has to feed 20% population
• Per capita agricultural land has been declining
• Population will reach 2.2 billion in 2050
• Cereal demand will increase from 241 to 476 million MT in
2050
• Increased production needs to come from limited or
shrinking areas of cultivable lands
• Water demand for irrigation will increase about 70%
• Fertilizer demand will increase over 100%
Nexus Approach in South
Asia • About 7080% of agricultural production depends on
groundwater irrigation
• Electricity consumption in irrigation has increased
several times
• Food production highly sensitive & vulnerable to climate
changes
• Climate change likely to increase water & energy
demand for food production & land demand for bio-fuel
production
• Nexus Challenges
Nexus Challenges: Food Security
• Food production needs to be doubled in next 25 years
• Per capita agricultural land has been declining
• Rice & wheat- high water & energy demanding
• Increased production needs to come from limited or
shrinking areas of cultivable lands
• Intensification of agriculture has led to a great
dependence on water & energy
• Competition for land for food and bio-energy crops &
ecosystem services
Nexus Challenges: Water Security
• Growing water demand for agriculture, energy, industry,
human & livestock
• Uneven endowment of water resources
• Almost 90% water is consumed by the agriculture sector
• About 20% of the population lack access to safe drinking
water
• Groundwater depletion: 70-80% of the agricultural
production depends on groundwater irrigation
• Water pollution – arsenic, water borne diseases, high child
mortality, poor human health, salinization
• Growing water stress- Pakistan, India
Nexus Challenges: Energy Security
• Widening demand - supply gap
• 63% no electricity -65% use biomass for
cooking
• Shortage of energy impedes economic growth
• Meeting growing energy demand for agriculture,
water, industry & other economic activities
• High dependence on traditional sources, fossil
fuels, imported energy
• Reducing reliance upon fossil fuels & carbon
intensity
Nexus Challenge: Climate change
• Climate change is a major
concern - alterations in SA -
temperature &
precipitation, melting Himalayan
glaciers, and degradation of
natural resources &
environment
• Fresh water availability is
projected to unreliable
• Increased frequency of extreme
events, drought, floods, variabil
ity in climate, affecting monsoon
patterns
1990-2080
(% change)
World -0.6 to -0.9
Developed
Countries
2.7 to 9.0
Developing
Countries
-3.3 to -7.2
Southeast Asia -2.5 to -7.8
South Asia -18.2 to -22.1
Sub-Saharan
Africa
-3.9 to -7.5
Latin America 5.2 to 12.5
Role of Himalayas in Food, Water,
Energy Security in South Asia
Himalayas – the water tower of Asia
•Himalayan freshwater
54,000 glaciers , covering 60,000 Km2
•Largest body of ice outside the Polar caps
• Store about 12,000 km3 of freshwater
Indo-Gangetic Plain- bread basket of SA
• World’s largest
irrigated agriculture in
IGBP
• Rice-wheat system
produces the bulk of
the food-grains of SA
Ground water recharge
•Himalayan watersheds are
natural storage of water
•Himalayas influences the
ground water condition of IGBP
- Recharge deep aquifers
•IGBP is rich in ground water –
replenish by rainfall, snow &
ice melting & seepage from
Himalayan watershed
Energy Security
• Himalayas have vital role in
energy security in SA
• Hydropower potential 500 GW
• Himalayas can provide access to
green energy
• Of the total hydropower potential in
India, 79% is in the Himalayan region
• Micro-hydropower
Conclusions
• Regional interdependencies of the food, water, energy
nexus in the HKH mountain systems & downstream.
• Inter-country coordination & collaboration is critical for
long-term solutions for food, water, and energy security
in SA.
• Himalayan ecosystem services are vital to both
upstream & downstream food, water & energy security
• A basin-level approach is required to manage
synergies & trade-offs in food, water, & energy nexus.
• The Himalaya is a regional public good, it is common
interest & shared responsibility to protect the
Himalayan ecosystems
Recommendations
• Strengthen inter-sectoral coordination
• Recognize the role of HKH mountain ecosystems,
upstream-downstream interdependencies
• Optimum development & sustainable use of
Himalayan water for water, energy & food security
• Manage headwaters of the Himalayan rivers-
Himalayan watersheds, forests, rangelands &
farmlands.
• Provide incentives to local communities for
sustainable use & management of the headwaters.
Recommendations
• Develop micro & macro hydropower optimally- identify
potential hydropower areas, demarcate fragile zones .
• Framework for regional cooperation for multiple uses of
water for irrigation, energy, fisheries, domestic uses &
for benefit-sharing.
• Promote interdisciplinary research & a nexus
knowledge base to support decision-making in
managing trade-offs & promoting synergies
Thank youThank you