III INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION: COOPERATION, SCIENCE, EDUCATION, TECHNOLOGY
RU EN ES

Water Resources-Energy-Food Resources

SDG 2SDG 6SDG 7

20 November, 14:00-17:00
Academic Council Hall

broadcast

About the Section

The nexus approach is a coherent and integrated way of making management decisions at the water-energy-food nexus; an option to mitigate the pressures on water resources caused by climate change, population growth, economic development and urbanization.

The Sustainable Development Goals which underpin it include clean water (SDG 6), energy (SDG 7) and food security (SDG 2). The overall objective of the SDGs and the nexus approach is to minimise poverty and achieve economically and environmentally sustainable outcomes. The nexus approach helps reduce the risks associated with specific sectoral SDG actions by analysing trade-offs and creating linkages between goals. This provides an opportunity to create cascading effects towards achieving the SDGs, going beyond the food, energy and water sectors. The nexus approach represents a fundamental shift from a sectoral approach to a cross-sectoral, integrated pathway of socio-economic development which can be implemented at all levels of governance and at any scale. It not only ensures the environmentally sustainable use of vital resources, reduces potential negative impacts and possible conflicts, but also maximises benefits.

The concept is particularly relevant to the region of South, Central America and the Caribbean, where there are a number of transboundary river basins and tensions over the management of shared natural resources. The nexus approach can become a pathway towards a green economy and the implementation of the SDGs.

Facts and figures

Currently, 50 million people in Latin America lack adequate access to food, although the region plays a key role in meeting the growing global demand for food
Although the region contains more than 41% of the world’s freshwater reserves, 36 million people do not have adequate access to drinking water sources, since inequalities in access and affordability remain a problem.

Questions for discussion

  • Maintaining the quality of freshwater resources and water supply: applying integrated approaches to water resources development, water management and water use.
  • Impact of climate change on water resources.
  • Integrating water and energy policies as a basis for sustainable development.
  • Improving water, energy and food security in the Latin and Central American region.
  • International cooperation within the Nexus Approach (water, energy and food resources).
  • Alternative energy sources (biofuels, hydropower).
AK
Anna Kurbatova
Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Engineering, RUDN University, Head of the From Waste to Energy International Association in Russia
HS
Hugo Solís (Ecuador)
Professor, Central University of Ecuador

Invited speakers

  • Topic of the report
    Setting up Energy Recovery of Municipal Solid Waste Virtual Reality (VR) Laboratory. New Digital Technologies in Russia-Latin America International Educational Cooperation
    Anna Kurbatova
    Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Engineering, RUDN University, Expert of the Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification Body of RUDN University, Head of the From Waste to Energy International Association in Russia
  • Topic of the report
    Sustainable Agro-Industrial Innovations in Latin America: Potential of Hemp and Non-Psychoactive Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.)
    Hugo Solís (Ecuador)
    Professor, Central University of Ecuador
  • Topic of the report
    Think Globally, Act Locally: Case Studies on Water-Energy Environmental Restoration (using the example of Ecuador)
    Rafael Luque (Ecuador)
    Distinguished Scientist, Professor, Universidad ECOTEC (Ecuador); Head of the Centre for Molecular Design and Synthesis of Innovative Compounds for Medicine, RUDN University
  • Topic of the report
    Building Capacity in Water Energy and Food Links: Development of a Master’s Programme (Multilateral Cooperation with Universities from Latin America)
    Hani Abu Qdais (Jordan)
    Professor, JUST University, Head of the international master’s programme in Water-Energy- Food Nexus
  • Topic of the report
    Digital Transformation of Water Management, Possibility of Application in Latin American Countries
    Evgeniy Matveev
    Head of the Digital Transformation Department, Russian Research Institute for Integrated Use and Protection of Water Resources, Federal Agency for Water Resources
  • Topic of the report
    Evaluation of the Water Quality of High-Mountain Andean Rivers Using WQI (Water Quality Index): the Case of the Columbia Rive r, Ecuador
    Christian Alexander Salazar Flores (Ecuador)
    Professor, Chimborazo Polytechnic School, Research Group on Sustainable Development of Watersheds (GISOCH)