The Gulf countries are facing a rapid increase in the energy and water consumption due to the harsh climate conditions, high population growth and increase in industrial and agriculture activities.In Europe, water availability is among the key constraints affecting the energy sector, which currently requires 74 billion m3/year of freshwater, like the water needs of agriculture. The decarbonisation of the energy system could reduce its water needs by 38 % by 2050, yet water availability will play an essential role on the way to climate neutrality by 2050.

Indeed, significant amounts of water are used for extracting and transforming energy as well as in agriculture for food production. Similarly, energy is used for extracting, collecting, pumping, transporting, treating and desalinating water. Moreover, the lack of coordination at national and regional levels and the required local skills on the WEF nexus framework threatens the sustainable development of national agendas.

This close interdependence between the water, energy and food sectors implies that their management should be addressed simultaneously, to increase energy efficiency in the water and agriculture sectors and reduce the water footprint in the energy and agriculture sectors.  Equally important, the WEF nexus could help to create opportunities for entrepreneurship development, gender empowerment social inclusion based on Human right approach.

In this context, the EU-GCC Clean Energy Technology Network (EU GCC CETN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat General (GCC SG) are organizing an online discussion entitled “The Water-Energy- Food (WEF) Nexus in the GCC and EU regions; Challenges and opportunities” which will take place on 8 December 2020 at 3:00 pm GST, 12:00 pm CET.

The online workshop aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Build a common understanding of the WEF nexus as a key driver for sustainable development and economic diversification.
• Exchange information on the initiatives that have been developed in the GCC and EU and inform about the lessons learnt and business models.
• Discuss opportunities for strengthening EU-GCC collaboration between national and regional initiatives in supporting the concrete implementation of the WEF nexus concept including capacity building, R&D and knowledge management initiatives as well as awareness raising.

You may visit the event webpage for more information here.