Links between energy and water
European Cooperation in Science & Technology
In its quest to help European researchers provide joint solutions to complex global challenges, COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is funding the Climate-Energy-Water (CEW) Links project. By understanding the nature and possible effects of the links between climate, energy and water as well as related sectors, such as food and transport, policies will be more resilient and adaptable to the needs of today’s society.
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| Understanding impacts of the
water-energy relationship |
Joining research policy
In existing policy frameworks, climate, energy and water policies are developed largely independently. Many research teams globally are analysing the links in the energy-water nexus but there is little opportunity to put the pieces of the puzzle together. There has been almost no research undertaken into how even the most dominant relationships between climate, energy and water can be accounted for, and incorporated into international, national and regional policy development.
The links between water, energy and climate are complex. Energy production requires vast quantities of water, which calls for significant amounts of energy. The consequent CO2 emissions are major drivers of climate change. Changes in any of these three sectors will also have a ’knock-on’ effect on land use, food production and transport. Climate change affects the availability and quality of our water and the types of energy supplies that are sustainable and economically feasible.
Preliminary, early research has been undertaken to identify and understand these links, but little is comprehensive in approach or policy-relevant in outcome. COST’s raison d’être is to help European researchers come together to provide joint solutions to global challenges such as these. The CEW Links initiative is an integrative endeavour with a policy and management focus.
The project started by identifying and understanding the links between climate, energy and water, and how these links can be accounted for globally. Once this was established, protagonists looked at the gaps in existing policy frameworks and produced a comprehensive list of recommendations to be presented at a number of key international fora. This includes the 2009 UNFCCC COP15 from 7 to 18 December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The aim is also to establish a long-term research and development agenda so researchers and policymakers in the climate-energy-water domain can continue to build on early results.
In support of the most outstanding, comprehensive and up-to-the-minute science, and using COST’s extensive networking and coordination competencies, the CEW Links project is providing an international platform for scholars and policymakers already working in this area and for those with the technical expertise to contribute to the initiative. To this end, a series of events in 2008-2009 have been organised involving both high-level scientists and policy- and decision-makers to establish a roadmap for action.
Scientific outputs
The COST CEW Links initiative will focus on a series of research and development (R&D) challenges and objectives. Three workshops, one international conference, two conference panels and the publication of a special issue of a top-tier science journal are set to explore the potential for dialogue and debate from the international community of scientists and policymakers.
Early successes have included a map of the dominant causal links within the climate, water and energy nexus and the identification of policies and management strategies to better account for those links.
Experts involved in this initiative will produce a report on the project’s findings in different forms useful for researchers, policymakers, and managers. These will include detailed descriptions of selected case studies and higher-level discussions of generic insights. An R&D agenda will be drafted to examine and extend the project’s findings, focusing on what have been defined as the most critical knowledge needs for both research and policy.
Policy recommendations
To enhance efficient policymaking based on concrete findings, the project has identified key areas for further action. A key conclusion from the first workshop was the need to undertake international comparative studies to identify ‘better-practice’ initiatives that can be disseminated across the policy, energy and water communities.
As such the project recommends integrating an assessment of climate-energy-water and related interactions into existing regional development planning and understanding energy and water use, and managing demand. By addressing the disequilibrium between energy and water in terms of price and perception, a ‘common currency’ or ‘language’ to speak across the sectors should also be developed.
It also advises reviewing and comparing the impacts of biofuels and carbon offsets on water resources and identifying technological solutions that successfully couple energy and water generation, for instance powering desalination plants with wind power.
 COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology
W: www.cost.esf.org/events
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