Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GoNEXUS (Innovative tools and solutions for governing the water-energy-food-ecosystems NEXUS under global change)
Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-11-30
The overall objective of GoNEXUS is to develop a framework for designing and assessing innovative solutions for efficient and sustainable coordinated governance of the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus. The project can support evidence-based policy and decision-making that addresses the challenges posed by climate and global changes. Solutions will combine policy changes and other soft-path options with technical and infrastructure measures for a more resilient future. Improved modelling at different scales and across scales will support evidence for a better understanding of the interlinkages of the nexus. The Model Toolbox will allow assessing the impact of solutions to meet the challenges of climate and other projected changes. Creative multi-level dialogues with stakeholders will support the co-design of scenarios, models, indicators and solutions. The project's focus on involving stakeholders in the co-design can lead to more inclusive and equitable outcomes. Besides integrating robust modelling approaches with cross-sectoral dialogues, the project will go beyond the state-of-the-art by specifically addressing policy uptake and governance mechanisms, including institutional change, in order to co-develop socially and politically-feasible solutions. The utility and effectiveness of the framework will be showcased in a series of geographically, economically, climatically and politically diverse case studies that span all levels, from local/river basin to continental and global, including transboundary basins in Europe and Africa.
A complete literature review on the Sustainability Assessment Framework (SAF) has been performed, and the preliminary SAF was completed and submitted. Regarding the Nexus Dialogues, partners were mostly involved in organising and carrying out the first round of basin and sub-basin dialogues. All case study coordinators have been working on developing reports and videos on the dialogues. As for the global and European Union scale dialogues, international initiatives that work on the nexus were identified. The Solutions Evaluation Framework (SEF) was delivered. Some case studies already have a preliminary policy, and technical and operational list of solutions identified. The visual identity as well as social media accounts and the website of the project, were created. A dedicated communication toolkit was created in October 2022. Videos and newsletters were disseminated. Additionally, news pieces have been shared monthly. The main topics include outcomes of dialogues and key challenges or takeaways discussed, what GoNEXUS has been reading, profiles on young researchers and video releases. Finally, GoNEXUS has joined the Nexus Project Cluster and participated as a presenter in the last Nexus Project Cluster Workshop. In addition, GoNEXUS has joined a project group of the Horizon Results Booster (HRB) led by SIGMA Nexus. The Risk and Data Management Plan were submitted.