Water–energy–food nexus: a platform for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals

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Acknowledgements

This high- level panel was partially supported by the Texas A&M WEF Nexus Initiative, BMZ, European Union, and respective co-author institutions (American University of Beirut, OCP Policy Center, University of Zaragoza, Global Environmental Facility, Circle of Blue, Stockholm Environment Institute, National Scientific and Technical Research Council, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, World Bank, and Water Foundry).

This text was developed as an outcome of the “Water-Energy-Food Nexus” high-level panel at the XVI World Water Congress, Cancun Mexico, 1 June 2017. The panel’s goal was to demonstrate the extent of interconnection between the water, energy and food Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The panel highlighted lessons learned from various thematic and regional case studies and experiences. It focused on exploring the possible trade-offs among possible pathways for implementation of the SDGs, and on identifying holistic assessment criteria for accounting for potential competition of multiple implementation plans at different scales. This focus led to substantial discussion of ways to improve policy coherence through improved communication between policy and science across both sectors and scales.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.