The Water-Food-Energy Nexus in Action Exploring Mekong Region Futures

John Ward, Alex Smajgl 21 March 2013

CSIRO ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES/CLIMATE ADAPTATION FLAGSHIP

Exploring Mekong Region Futures

• Foreign direct investment accelerates development in the GMS

• Most investments are linked to water, food & energy • What are the unintended interactions and side-effects

• across these three sectors? • in the trans-boundary context?

• EMRF started end of 2008 to understand the Water-

Food-Energy Nexus to guide Development decisions towards a sustainable traject

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures

ntry point I:nergy securityntry point II:Water securityntry point III:ood securityrrigationood processingood distributionrrigationio fuelsnergy from wasteydropowerooling (i.e. nuclear)esalinationWater diversion

Local Nexus situations

• Yunnan (ICRAF) Rubber-Reforestation-Biodiversity

• Lao PDR (IWMI/WREA) Water use in Nam Ngum catchment & Vientiane plain

• Thailand (SEI/KKU/RBO) Irrigation for north-eastern Provinces & climate change

• Cambodia (Aalto/TSA/SNEC) Impacts of mainstream dams on Tonle Sap

• Vietnam (Can Tho Uni/Prov) Mekong Delta adaptation to sea-level rise

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures

Experiences at the local level

• Researchers need to overcome current research interest and model guided foci, otherwise only partial coverage of the Nexus

• Engagement process – cross-sectoral, cross levels of governance and trans-boundary – is critical because otherwise risk of having no or counterproductive impact on decision making side

• No modelling capacity readily available

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures

Nexus at the regional level

• Mixed method approach • Expert panel • Household surveys • Suite of hydrological and agricultural models • Integrated simulation model

• Analysing the Nexus at regional level identified system criticalities

• We argue that if these criticalities represent nodes of managed interventions (policy foci) where outcomes are likely to be more effective

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures

Nexus System Criticalities

• Trans-boundary management of fish stocks • Instruments to manage risks from monocultures • Avoidance of sudden migration peaks due to change

in access to natural resources • Coordinated management of labour transition from

primary to secondary sectors in the context of urban growth

• Explicit management of energy demand instead of a singular focus on energy supply

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures

Thank you CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Alex Smajgl Senior Research Scientist t +61 419 793439 e alex.smajgl@csiro.au w www.csiro.au/ MekongFutures.html

CSIRO ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES/CLIMATE ADAPTATION FLAGSHIP

CSIRO. Exploring Mekong Region Futures Page 9

Challenge and Reconstruct Learning (ChaRL)

CSIRO. Exploring Mekong Region Futures Page 10

Challenge and Reconstruct Learning (ChaRL)

CSIRO. Exploring Mekong Region Futures Page 11

Challenge and Reconstruct Learning (ChaRL)

Challenge and Reconstruct Learning (ChaRL)

Exploring Mekong Region Futures | Dr Alex Smajgl | Page 12

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures

Climate & Policy Adaptation | Dr Alex Smajgl | Page 13

Challenge and Reconstruct Learning (ChaRL)

http://www.csiro.au/science/MekongFutures