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