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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 2