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Section 1: Introduction
1.1 GOAL AND SCOPE OF REPORT
This report provides an overview of the water-energy-food nexus in Latin America and the Caribbean LAC, identifying the main
challenges and opportunities for achieving water, energy and food security in the region. There is a particular focus on the Latin
American countries Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. This report builds on IUCN and IWA’s Latin
American Nexus Dialogue workshop in 2013 and the Amazonia Security Agenda project www.segamazonia.org and is informed
by 41 interviews with key stakeholders across water, energy and food sectors in the region Annex 1.
The goals of the report are to support public and private sector decision-makers in the region by identifying:
1.
Key trade-offs between water, energy and food;
2.
Strategic priorities to address key challenges for water, energy and food security;
3.
Entry points for a regional nexus dialogue.
1.2 WHAT IS THE NEXUS?
The water-energy-food WEF nexus is a new model for action informed by the interconnections between different sectors. It
builds on a long history of integrated management approaches. The
main premise of the nexus approach is that in our hyper-connected world water, energy and food are increasingly interdependent,
with impacts in one sector affecting the others. In a planet under pressure from climate change and growing demand from
larger and increasingly afluent populations, understanding and accounting for these interdependencies is vital for achieving longer
term economic, environmental and social goals.
Whilst the value of a nexus approach has been demonstrated in identifying complex synergies and trade-offs, less focus has been
given to the development of practical nexus tools and frameworks to support proactive and integrated decision-making.
Water underpins both energy and food security. Water is also vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation. Water
is therefore often the irst entry point for applying a nexus approach.
NEXUS TRANSLATED
When introducing the ‘nexus’ or ‘nexus approach’, it is essential to use case studies and examples to illustrate the concept as these are not widely-understood terms and are deined in varying ways by different organisations. This
issue becomes further complicated when dealing with translation, as not all languages have an exact equivalent. For instance, in Spanish and Portuguese the direct translation ‘nexo’ is not a commonly used word in either language,
which created dificulties when trying to communicate this concept in the interviews conducted for this report. Instead, ‘vinculo’ was used as a more effective alternative in both languages, however further explanation was still
needed to communicate the idea of trade-offs and synergies between water, energy and food.
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Water and Energy
Water is required for energy generation, including hydroelectric power, thermal power station cooling, extraction of petroleum,
gas, uranium, biofuels etc., and biofuel crop production. Energy is also required for pumping water, for example for domestic
supply and agricultural irrigation systems, water treatment plants,
and desalination.
Energy and Food
Energy is required for all stages of the agricultural supply chain, including irrigation, agricultural mechanisation, processing,
storage and transport. Growing biofuel crop production may compete with food crops for land and water. Agricultural and
livestock waste can be used for biogas and biofuel.
Food and Water
Water is essential for agricultural production rain-fed and irrigated crops, livestock and isheries. Agriculture is the main
user of water globally, and can impact water quality through pesticide run-off. Agricultural expansion is the biggest driver of
deforestation, eroding water provisioning and water regulating ecosystem services, and undermining long-term water security.
1.3 THE NEXUS IN PRACTICE
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