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Water- Energy-Food Nexus: Reflection of CAREC’s activities
CAREC is regional platform for environmental cooperation and maybe first such organization of
Central Asian states which act as nexus agent already for last decade or so. While capturing
focus on environmental aspects of resource management CAREC have developed programmatic
activities on environmental management, climate change, energy efficiency, education for
sustainable development and water management. The programmatic themes of CAREC are
reflection of the inter-linkages between water, energy and food production. Moreover, CAREC
implements its projects in inter-disciplinary teams which include experts on those different
aspects.
CAREC have developed few approaches and tools which are example of nexus approach: (i)
basin planning tools and instruments which helps to implement nexus approach in the river
basins, (ii) Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) will help to bring different views on
environmental, (iii) basin planning etc. (table 1).
Table 1. Examples of tools and approaches CAREC uses to promote Nexus approach
Local
Participatory
Approach
Inclusion of water
users (WUAs)
Multiple
Perspectives
Basin/sub basin
Basin Water
Councils (BWCs)
Basin Planning
process
Working groups
on basin planning
Multiple Uses
Drinking water projects
Water Quality
activities
Interventions on
improving irrigation
efficiency
National
Regional
Working
groups
National
Environmental
Policies
Regional
Working
groups
Shared
Environmental
Information
Systems (SEIS)
Sectoral
assessment of
water
management
Energy,
environmental
and other uses of
water
Payment
/Valuating for
Environmental
Services
(VES/PES)
Climate Change
impacts
1
Regional
Waterfoodenergy
nexus
CAREC is well located and has mandate, experience for further promotion of nexus approach in
Central Asia. Moreover, CAREC with its presence in the different levels: local, national and
regional could play a role of the network. The actual and practical implementation of the nexus
examples will be better illustration of usefulness and effective of the nexus concept. However, so
far in Central Asia nexus concept is theoretical, activities are scattered and limited only to the
regional level.
CAREC, at the local, sub-basin and basin level implementing many activities which reflects
nexus approach: inclusive basin councils where different sectors are represented, participatory
basin planning which reflects different uses of water and benefits of water use for different
purposes. Moreover, CAREC is actively applying new concepts such as valuation of ecosystem
services and shared information systems in order to promote fresh and new look into the water
management.
CAREC working as interdisciplinary think tank will further work on nexus approach, taking care
of following:
 energy efficiency improves the availability of water for agriculture, environment and
provides therefore livelihoods and ecosystem services - f. e. for protection of biodiversity
 more on the question water and bio-diversity is found in brief
at: https://www.cbd.int/idb/2013/messages/default.shtml
 RES could diversify energy production - reducing the amount of winter energy needs
based on water- more balanced provision of irrigation water
 food and environment; the environment is a water user as agriculture is - to be considered
while developing basin plans
 around 70 % of water is lost in the system - currently there would be no water scarcity if
the countries would optimize the irrigation system
 more food per drop - shift in the agriculture production pattern would contribute to
increased nexus security
 regional energy markets balancing supply and demand could significantly impove the
nexus - so far 3 out of 5 CA countries have isolated markets
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