Economic Pathways to Resilient Water Management:
Scaling Up for Sustainable Resource Management in the EU
Effective management of water, food, energy, and ecosystems is critical for achieving economic stability, social equity, and environmental sustainability. The European Green Deal, European Blue Deal, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to water governance, focusing on upscaling water economic instruments and models, and enhancing resilience across all sectors.
Water governance involves managing the interconnections between various sectors and addressing challenges driven by industrialization, urbanization, and population growth. The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus framework offers a valuable approach to understanding these dependencies. For example, water is essential for energy and food production, with agriculture using about 70% of global freshwater and energy production relying on 8% of this supply. Additionally, energy and food supply chains are significant consumers of global energy. The interplay of these sectors with the environment can lead to substantial ecological changes, such as deforestation from agricultural expansion.
To address these challenges and align with EU policy frameworks, this project will focus on the following areas:
1. Holistic Water Governance Assessment: Analyze the current state of water governance across various sectors in the EU, incorporating the goals of the European Green Deal and Blue Deal to improve resilience and sustainability in water management.
2. Upscaling Water Economic Instruments: Evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of advanced water economic instruments and models in the EU, such as pricing, trading, and allocation mechanisms, to enhance water efficiency and sectoral resilience.
3. Trends in Productivity and Sustainability: Examine trends in productivity and sustainability across sectors, focusing on how advanced water economic instruments contribute to resilience and align with SDG targets.
4. Resource Use and Climate Change Adaptation: Investigate the impacts of natural resource use and climate change on water management, exploring adaptation strategies that build resilience and support EU sustainability goals.
5. Application of WEFE Nexus: Apply the WEFE Nexus framework to assess how water, energy, food, and ecosystems interact and impact overall resource management, highlighting how resilience can be strengthened through integrated approaches.
6. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Ecosystem Services: Explore the role of NBS in improving water management and ecosystem services, and assess their integration into EU water governance strategies to enhance resilience.
7. Policy Integration and Coordination: Assess how integrating water governance policies and economic instruments can improve coordination across sectors and contribute to achieving the European Green Deal and SDGs, with a focus on enhancing overall resilience.
This project aims to provide comprehensive insights into developing and implementing integrated water governance strategies and economic instruments that enhance resilience, contributing to more sustainable and efficient water resource management across the EU.