The Nexus Framework, together with the Nexus Investment Projects screening tool, form part of the outcomes of the SADC NEXUS Dialogue Project, “Fostering Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus Dialogue and Multi-Sector Investment in the SADC Region”.
The overall objective of the project, according to Dr. Patrice Kabeya, Senior Programme Officer, Water Division, Directorate of Infrastructure in the SADC Secretariat, is to support the transformation required to meet increasing water, energy and food security demand in a context of climate change in the SADC Region through the development of a truly integrated nexus approach.
Dr. Patrice Kabeya, Senior Programme Officer, Water Division, SADC Secretariat
“The project also focuses on creating an enabling environment that will drive cross-sectoral engagement and implementation of nexus investment projects that contribute to enhancing water, food and energy security in the SADC region,” he said.
He further added that the SADC WEF Nexus Dialogue Project is a strategic fit in the implementation of SADC Regional Strategic Action Plan on Integrated Water Resources Development and Management Phase IV (RSAP IV) and other SADC's Regional water, energy, food policies, strategies and action plans and will also contribute to implementing the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap (2015-2063).
The SADC NEXUS Dialogue Project is supported by the European Commission as part of the Global "Nexus Dialogues Programme", which is in the first of its two phases. The current phase aims at supporting regional organisations and their member states apply a nexus approach in the formulation of multi-sector policy recommendations, strategies, action plans and investment programmes. The phase also identifies concrete investment projects, with a focus on multi-purpose water infrastructure, that could be funded under Phase II.
GWP’s Technical Advisor, Mr. Kidanemariam Jembere, noted that the upcoming workshop builds up on a number of regional processes and discussions through which the SADC Regional WEF Nexus Framework was developed.
“The draft Regional WEF Nexus Framework was prepared in a multi-stakeholder consultative process, which involved the undertaking of a number of analyses at regional and country levels,” said Jembere. "As part of developing prioritized investment projects for SADC, a draft WEF Nexus Project Screening Tool was also developed by considering the different WEF Nexus parameters that are relevant to the region”.
He added that stakeholder inputs from the SADC WEF Nexus session convened during the the 8th SADC Multistakeholder Water Dialogue fed into the development of the framework and tool, which were both reviewed by technical experts at the regional technical workshop held in November 2018 in Gaborone, Botswana. Both drafts were introduced to the SADC Member States and other stakeholders in the region during the 9th SADC WEF Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue and the Member States workshop on WEF Nexus in March 2019 in South Africa.
The Regional Water Energy Food (WEF) Nexus Framework , is expected to be finalized by December 2019 following a resolution made at the SADC Water and Energy Ministers’ Meeting held in Namibia in May 2019 . Once finalized the framework will:
- Facilitate integrated planning and implementation of initiatives that will drive water, energy and food security;
- Ensure simultaneous achievement of water, energy and food security in the region through optimization of investments; and
- Improve sustainable use and management of natural resources underpinning development in the region.
The upcoming workshop, therefore, aims to review and validate the SADC WEF Nexus Regional Framework. The workshop will also test the draft web-based WEF Nexus Tool, demonstrate on how the tool works, and collect input for further improving and refining the tool. The Action Plan of the Southern Africa Youth WEF Innovation Network (SAYWIN) will also be discussed, focusing on its implementation.
The workshop will be attended by representatives of the Water, Energy and Food sectors from SADC Member States; SADC Secretariat-Water, Energy and Food security divisions; GWPSA; WEF Nexus Implementing Partners; International Cooperating Partners and the Youth. The workshop will be held back to back with the Working Group Meeting for the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF) Sustainable Institutionalization Initiative.
Through the subsidiarity principle of SADC, Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA), as SADC Secretariat’s implementing partner, has been mandated to support the implementation of the SADC NEXUS Dialogue Project.
For more information about the workshop, find the workshop concept note and agenda.