Systems thinking is needed to address the global water crisis

We are pleased to report that NEXUS Gains has made substantial progress since its launch in April 2022, as outlined in our annual technical report. Energy, food production, and ecosystems are driven by water, which is central to our nexus approach. To ensure the sustainability of the program, we have invested considerable time in building teams and partnerships in our target basins. We have also made substantial progress in building water–energy–food–environment (WEFE) knowledge and capacities, and women’s leadership capacities. Two of our 11 innovation profiles are now complete: the Environmental Flow Estimation Tools and Agrobiodiversity Solution Hotspot Tool. And we are delighted that the Agrobiodiversity Index, supported by NEXUS Gains, has won the Food Planet Prize 2023!
In late March, we participated in the UN 2023 Water Conference which confirmed that the global water crisis is intensifying: floods and droughts are becoming more prevalent, too many people continue to lack access to safe water, and degradation of aquatic ecosystems continues apace. Throughout the event it was widely acknowledged that addressing the water crisis must be a global endeavor. It requires systems thinking, breaking down siloes, intersectoral collaboration, and strengthening gender and social inclusion in water institutions, capacity building, and research processes and outcomes. Business as usual is not an option; nexus approaches are a must.