High-level panel X: Integrated Approaches for Energy – Water – Food – Health Nexus

 
Set within the overall theme of the VEF2015, “Sustainable Energy for Inclusive Development,” this session will provide a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss integrated approaches for the energy–water–food–health nexus, illustrating the complexity of sustainable development issues for the post-2015 era. This discussion will draw upon the wealth of experience and expertise of top-level decision-makers and experts from around the world to explore the relations between interdependent social and environmental systems required for inclusive and sustainable growth.
There is increasing global recognition and acceptance that the energy-water-food-health nexus is at the core of the post-2015 development agenda, where sustainable growth has become increasingly imperative to address climate change and the needs of billions of people without access to basic services. Currently, 1.2 billion people lack access to electricity and some 2.8 billion people rely on traditional energy sources for cooking and boiling water, leading to health and economic burdens that predominantly fall on women and girls. These are more or less the same people that lack access to adequate food, clean drinking-water and safe sanitation/hygiene. The intricate links between water, energy, and food, and related dimensions such as gender, ecosystems, climate change, health and livelihoods, present not only challenges but also the opportunities to achieve sustainable development in the post-2015 era within the static planetary boundaries.
During this session, experts will shed light on the nexus perspective as an indispensable policy and management instrument for responding to the needs of a rapidly changing world. Panellists will also discuss opportunities and showcase best practices for the efficient use of resources for sustainable and inclusive development. This will require understanding the energy–water–food–health nexus and other interconnected dimensions, such as gender, to incorporate partnerships, financing, policy and technology interventions, capacity building and knowledge management in an integrated framework.
Session presentation.