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Water-Food-Energy Nexus: well-being indicators for a better quality of life

Fabiola RiccardiniOECD, Expert Workshop on Decision Support Tools for Policy Dialogues

on the W/E/F Nexus in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central AsiaParis, 2-3 June 2015

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Table of contents

research purpose water energy food security the nexus in the SDGs process nexus approach vs well-being some features from Italy conclusions

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INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH PURPOSE (the related paper is publishing):

to investigate on the linkages between the W/F/E Nexus and well-being

to look at the BES (benessere equo e sostenibile) domains and figure out the possible links to food-energy-water security defining rooms for policy (drivers) and to identify the direct and indirect impacts on well-being

To contribute at the UN-SDGs Indicators Debate

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WATER ENERGY FOOD SECURITY

Despite the progress the international community has done thanks to the Millennium Development Goals, according to the World Bank, 1.2 billion still lack access to electricity, at least 748 million are without access to clean, safe drinking water and 870 million are malnourished.

The feature is even worse looking at the UN global projections for which world population is expected to reach 9.5 billion people by 2050. In this context of demographic pressure the demand of natural resources is supposed to grow exponentially and accordingly the competition among these is expected to burden.

IMPORTANCE OF THE NEXUS APPROACH

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THE NEXUS APPROACH WITHIN THE SDG’S

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

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THE NEXUS APPROACH WITHIN THE SDG’STARGETSGoal 22,3 By 2030 double the agricultural productivity and the incomes of small-scale food producers, particularly women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.2,4 By 2030 ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaption to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.Goal 66,1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.6,2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations6,4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity, and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.6,5 By 2030 implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.Goal 7 7,1 By 2030 ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services7,3 Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030Goal 1212,2 By 2030 achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources12,3 By 2030 halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains including post-harvest losses.12,4 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.12,5 Encourage companies, especially large and trans-national companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainabilityinformation into their reporting cycle.12,6 By 2030 ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

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NEXUS Vs WELL-BEING

The aim of this work was to investigate on the linkages between the Nexus and well-being. In particular the Nexus will be framed within the Italian BES (Benessere equo e sostenibile).

As Part of the international debate on "Gdp and beyond“ The BES Project is aimed to measure equitable and sustainable well-being

The central idea is that economic parameters alone are inadequate to evaluate the progress of societies and should be complemented by social and environmental information and by measures of inequality and sustainability

12 domains of wellbeing

Annual Reports 2013 and 2014, next Sept 2015

Website: http://www.misuredelbenessere.it/

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Key domains for the Italian BES

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NEXUS Vs WELL-BEING : THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK

Barilla Double Pyramid : what is good for you is good for your planet

In 2003 the Italian INRAN in

collaboration with the WHO advised

for an healthy life habit:

• A greater consumption of cereals,

fruit and vegetables

• A limited consumption of sugar,

fat and sweets

• lot of water every day

• A pinch of salt

In 2010 BcFN proposed the

Environmental Pyramid together

with the food Pyramid. They

compute the environmental impact

using ecological footprint and water footprint.

Still looking at official statistics

material flows is a better

approximation of environmental impacts

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NEXUS Vs WELL-BEING : THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK

The nexus framed through the BES domains

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NEXUS Vs WELL-BEING : THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK

The nexus framed through the BES domains and indicators

Direct impact Environment

and Landscape

Direct impact

Health

Quasi-direct impacts

Labor

Economic wellbeing

social relations

Safety

Subjective well-being

DRIVERS

Politics and Institutions

Quality of services

Education

Research and Innovation

Healthy life expectancy

Physical component summary

Life style: nutrition

Overweight

Drinkable water Material flows Erosion of rural area for

abandonment urban sprawl Quality assessment of

Regional programmers for rural development

Regularity in water supply and electrification

recycling rate Food education Ending waste and

reuse educations Smallholders

agriculture Technologies for

resource efficiency

Satisfaction with family and friends relations

Life satisfaction

employment Disposable income deprivation

N

E

X

U

S

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NEXUS Vs WELL-BEING : an interlinkages analysis over the SDG’s goals and targets

DRIVERS

Politics and Institutions

Quality of services

Education

Research and Innovation

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

N

E

X

U

S

6,5

6,1 6,2 7,1

6,4 7,2

12,4 12,6

12,5 12,3

12,2

2,3 2,4

Direct impact Environment

and Landscape

Direct impact

Health

Quasi-direct impacts

Labor

Economic wellbeing

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Drivers

DRIVERS

Politica e istituzioni

qualità dei servizi

Istruzione

Ricerca e Innovazione

Education• Food education and

“ending waste” policies

• Promote the culture of recycling

Research and Innovation • Improve resources

efficiency through technology

Politics and Institutions• Promotion of

smallholders agriculture and more safty agriculture as a means of sustainable agriculture

Quality of services • Guarantee the regularity of

the Public Utilities services( e.g. water supply and electricity power distribution)

• Waste differentiation and reduction of waste

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Some features from Italy: food Pyramid

pane pastacarni bianche

fruttacarni bovine

lattepesce

uovaverdure

dolci carne maiale

ortaggiformaggi

84.9380.20

76.2270.81

59.1258.60

56.7450.78

48.9446.62

42.5823.69

Food habits: consumption per food kind (average 2005-2013)

Italian people consume lot of pasta, meat (white and red) a good proportion of fruit but still a too small portion of vegetables

Carne

Patate, frutta e ortaggi

Pane e cereali

Latte, formaggi e uova

Bevande

Pesce

Zucchero, caffé, thé, cacao ed altro

Olii e grassi

23.0

17.916.9

13.6

9.28.7

7.13.6

Households monthly expenditure for food and beverage average 2001-2013(percentages) Also looking at the

households monthly food expenditure, Italian families show an high meat consumption and a still low vegetables consumption

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Some features from Italy: environmental Pyramid

1998-2002 2003-2007 2008-2012

30134 30134 30134

36% 32% 32%

Land use : total area and percentage of total country are cultivated

Total area (1000 ha) % of total country area cultivated (%)

1998-2002 2003-2007

45.41

20.01

12.89

Water use : total area and percentage of total country are cultivated

Total water withdrawal (10^9 m3/year) Agricultural water withdrawal (10^9 m3/year)

Sources: FAOSTAT

19901991

19921993

19941995

19961997

19981999

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

1.50 1.70 1.90 2.10 2.30 2.50 2.70 2.90 3.10

Agriculture and forestry energy use as a % of total Energy use (%)

Italy European Union

The European percentage of land use is on average 50% against the Italian 32%. While the European agriculture and forestry use is on average 2,47% against the Italian 2,37%

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Some features from Italy: Direct Impact, Health

2009 2010 2011 201240.045.050.055.060.065.070.075.080.085.090.0

Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (years )

SPERANZA DI VITA IN BUONA SALUTE SPERANZA DI VITA

..... linea tratteggiata per le donne

Women live longer but with lower good health expectations

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201325.0

27.0

29.0

31.0

33.0

35.0

37.0

Overweight (percentage of people 18 years and more )

donne uomini fonte BES

Men suffer overweight more than women. According to WHO in Europe 50% of both male and female are overweight. Italy lies below this threshold with about 44% of overweighed

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Some features from Italy: Direct Impact, Landscape and Environment

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120.05.0

10.015.020.025.030.035.0

Energy from renewable sources (Share of energy consumptions provided by re-

newable sources on total internal consumptions.)

Nord CentroMezzogiorno Italia fonte BES

Nord Centro Mezzogiorno

23.4 22.5

15.5

Erosion of farmland from urban sprawl (ref-erence year 2001 percentage)

fonte BES

Nord Centro Mezzogiorno

24.1 22.9

34.9

Erosion of farmland from abandonment (year 2001 percentages)

fonte BES

Farmland recovery especially for agricultural purpose are the advised policies the selected indicators should assess.

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Some features from Italy: Semi direct Impact, labor and economic well-being

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201340.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

Employment rate , 2004-2013 (per-centages)

MASCHI totale FEMMINE fonte BES

19771979

19811983

19851987

19891991

19931995

19971999

20012003

20052007

20092011

05000

10000150002000025000

Number of employee broken down by economic activity, - 1977-2011 (thousands

)

AGRICOLTURA INDUSTRIA SERVIZI TOTALE

Fonte ISTAT rilevazione sulla forza lavoro

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 201211000

13000

15000

17000

19000

21000

23000

Disposable income per capita, 2004-2012

Nord Centro Mezzogiorno Italia

Looking at the number of employee per economic activities in 2011 only 3,7% were employed in agricultural activities against 28,5% in industry and 68% in the third sector.

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Conclusions

The main idea behind the proposed framework is that food sustainability can lead environmental sustainability. So an effective management over the food centered nexus strongly affect wellbeing in terms of health, environment, labor, social relations and overall satisfaction…

To this extent ad hoc policies to implement the food/environment sustainability cycle are required, in order to achieve goals for wellbeing of people (food safty beyond food security), and taking in consideration the Nature’s limits

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION

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