31 August 2014
IIASA at the Stockholm World Water Week 2014
Stockholm World Water Week 2014
During the focus year on Water and Energy, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) organizes the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm under the theme of “Energy and Water”. Having a strong focus on Energy and Water, particularly within it´s flagship project, the WFaS initiative and a very close in-house cooperation, particularly between it´s two research departments dealing with global energy and water concerns, IIASA will play a crucial role in this year´s World Water Week.
IIASA will play a crucial role at the Stockholm World Water Week 2014:
Dr. David Wiberg, the acting director of IIASA´s water program is a member of the Scientific Programme Committee (SPC) of the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm, comprised of a number of professors, scientists and experts from the water and development fields. The work of the SPC involves setting the overall theme, the thematic scope, for World Water Week in Stockholm, determining the workshop topics, selecting the submitted abstracts, developing the workshop programmes and reporting. He is furthermore actively involved in the preparations and implementation of workshops, side events, seminars and talks at the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm where IIASA plays a role, and will moderate a discussion on examples and solutions for the workshop titled “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy”
Dr. Paul T. Yillia, research scholar at IIASA and consultant at Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) is actively involved through the coordination of several events during the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm. Particularly he will be coordinating the side event focusing on “Water-Energy Nexus Capacity Development: Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches”, by giving a talk on his submitted abstract titled “Framing the Water-Energy Nexus within the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Scenarios, Targets, Indicators and Data Need” during the seminar on “Access, Poverty and the Post-2015 Development Agenda” and by representing IIASA at the thematic workshop on “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy”.
Dr. Piotr Magnuszewski, research scholar at IIASA and co-founder and managing director of the ISIS Academy/Centre for Systems Solutions will contribute with his vast experience in interactive workshop design, particularly to the IIASA side-Event aiming at capacity development titled “Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches”.
Dr. Sylvain Leduc, research scholar at IIASA, will give a talk during the “Valuation, Economics, and Finance” workshop on “Assessing Hydropower in Ecosystem Services Conservation Scenarios – A Case Study in the Alpine Region”.
Details of IIASA´s involvement:
SUNDAY, 31 August 2014:
SIDE EVENT
Water-Energy Nexus Capacity Development: Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches
Convenor: Cap-Net UNDP
Co-convenors: IIASA and SE4All.
The activities of this side event circle around the inextricable link between water and energy, as it presents an opportunity to better manage two important global resources (and other related resources such as food, land and ecosystems) which are crucial for addressing several important global challenges. Increased global awareness of the linkage between water, energy and other nexus dimensions such as food, ecosystems and climate change has the potential to stimulate and guide integrated planning and implementation of local and international programmes to address several development goals. However, planners and decision-makers are not adequately equipped with the technical, managerial and governance approaches needed to operationalize the interdependencies between water and energy.
Capacity development is required for international organizations, regional and global funding mechanisms, as well as for the public and private sectors, research institutions and local stakeholders to support planning and decision making across various nexus dimensions. In this way, the nexus perspective can be consolidated in development planning to seek integrated solutions that address important global development challenges.
The workshop will provide an international platform to discuss the capacity development needs for operationalizing the water-energy nexus and seek ways that will enable the global community to tap more effectively into nexus capacity development opportunities around the world.
The side event will be organized and lead by Dr. Paul T. Yillia, research scholar at IIASA and consultant at Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) and Dr. Piotr Magnuszewski research scholar at IIASA and co-founder and managing director of the ISIS Academy/Centre for Systems Solutions.
By organizing an interactive “Needs assessment workshop session” IIASA aims at providing an international platform to discuss the capacity development needs for operationalizing the water-energy nexus and explore opportunities that will enable the global community to tap more directly and effectively into capacity development opportunities around the world.
Specifically, the side event will serve as an exploratory event to seek:
- Potential for partnership on capacity developing on the nexus with capacity building institutions and networks for joint capacity development activities;
- Innovative ways to improve nexus knowledge and strengthen capacity development, skills transfer and knowledge-sharing; ways to facilitate knowledge exchange across various nexus dimensions and provide policy guidance and technical tools and materials for integrated planning and implementation; use of ICTs for learning, competence building and mobilizing local knowledge;
- Interdisciplinary collaboration between the energy and water sectors and promoting exchange;
- Developing innovative technical tools and approaches and policy-oriented material and guidance;
- Developing and delivering tailored capacity building programmes for policy makers and practitioners working in water, food, energy and environmental sectors;
- Connecting actors working in different sectors and builds evidence-based platforms for them to exchange experiences, knowledge and perspectives on water, energy and food issues at the appropriate scale.
- tools to plan and manage these two critical resources together
Find here further detailed information on the side event:
http://programme.worldwaterweek.org/event/waterenergy-nexus-capacity-3352
MONDAY, 1 September 2014
SEMINAR
“Access, Poverty and the Post-2015 Development Agenda”
Workshop Framing the Water-Energy Nexus within the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Scenarios, Targets, Indicators and Data Need
Convenor: SE4All, IIASA and SIWI
This seminar will explore the role of energy and water for poverty reduction through novel approaches for green and inclusive growth; it will propose new ways to raise the profile of energy and water in the post-2015 development agenda, including advocating for an SDG on water, and finally it will suggest relevant energy and water indicators to monitor progress on SDGs.
The demand for water resources, energy and food is increasing dramatically. Global energy and water security remains far from being achieved. An estimated 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity and some 800 million get their water from unimproved sources. Some 2.5 billion people do not use an improved sanitation facility, and over 800 million are undernourished. Poor and marginalised people are often trapped in poverty and deprived of their human rights, as basic services are not available.
Allocating energy, water and food equitably and efficiently, within the existing ecological constraints, needs to be central in the post-2015 development agenda. In order to secure food, energy, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for all, increase water productivity and resilience to water related disasters, a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on water is key. In addition, water needs to be integrated into all relevant SDGs, such as in possible goals on energy and food.
Prof. Dr. Pavel Kabat, Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) will lead the SE4All/IIASA/SIWI High Level Ministerial Panel together with Dr. Kandeh Yumkella. The event for SE4All Partners will be kicked off by Prof. Dr. Pavel Kabat and Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, where also WFaS should be presented. The Water Futures and Solutions Initiative will be represented at this meeting.
Paul T. Yillia, research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and consultant at Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) has been invited to give a talk during the seminar focusing on the question of fighting poverty post-2015 by securing access to energy, food and water. The talk is based on an abstract
titled “Framing the Water-Energy Nexus within the Post-2015 Development Agenda to Address Global Development Challenges” (2014, Yillia, Wiberg, Gomez-Echeverri,Yumkella).
Abstract Summary:
At the core of on-going discussions on the post-2015 development agenda is access to water and energy, two intertwined resources that are crucial for addressing global development challenges like poverty, hunger, health and climate change. The need to carefully manage water and energy in an integrated way has never been this urgent and important as world leaders seek new approaches and institutional arrangements for proper policy development and sound decision-making. This article frames the water-energy nexus within the post-2015 development agenda as a crucial management instrument to improve coordination across different sectors in search of synergy and opportunities.
The full abstract can be downloaded here.
Find here further detailed information on the seminar: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/abstracts
TUESDAY, 2 September 2014
WORKSHOP
“Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy”
Convenor: SIWI
Co-convenors: WB, SE4All, IIASA and IRENA
This workshop will focus on examples of innovative thinking, successful cases and avoided pitfalls cross-cutting the energy and water sectors. Areas to be addressed include: water and energy footprints and mismatched accounting; iconic technologies of energy production and water purification (hydropower, shale gas, biofuels, nuclear energy, desalination, wastewater) with entwined conflicts; policy and management bridges between the two sectors; and sustainable ways forward.
The energy and water sectors are facing mutual limitations due to natural as well as rapid technological, developmental and socio-economic changes. However, their drivers are addressed in silos - water only as a resource for energy production or energy production's adverse effects on water resources. Missing is an adequate appreciation of their synergistic impacts, of how policies and practices in both areas can deny or facilitate their sustainable management. Energy and water technologies already facing such problems of inter-limitations need to share their concerns and celebrated cases on a common platform. A reciprocal encounter of shared learning dialogue between energy and water managers and researchers should highlight policy lessons and generate insights on how coherence can be achieved in practice. They would be of immense value to the North and South, to governments and communities in varied socio-ecological settings striving towards a sustainable future.
Through its work and the intertwined activities with the closely related initiative SE4All, the UN Secretary General’s initiative on sustainable energy for all by 2030, IIASA´s water program is involved in and contributing actively to the workshop on “Entwined Predicaments: Limits Facing Water and Energy” by discussing innovative thinking, successful cases, and avoided pitfalls across the water-energy nexus.
Prof. Dr. Pavel Kabat, Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) has been asked to be keynote speaker and chair of the session on the Scientific Perspective. This workshop is the first official workshop during the 2014 World Water Week in Stockholm and sets the stage for the rest of the week.
Dr. David Wiberg, Acting Director of the Water Program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) will moderate a session on Examples and Solutions during this workshop.
Find here further detailed information on the workshop
http://www.worldwaterweek.org/abstracts
For further information please also see Stockholm World Water Week 2014 online information.
The full program of the Stockholm World Water Week 2014 can be found online or downloaded.