5 June 2012
EU Development Report Discusses Water, Energy and Land Nexus
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The 2011/2012 European Report on Development (ERD) underscores that achieving inclusive and sustainable growth in the poorest countries requires “radical transformation” in the managing of water, energy, land (WEL) nexus through institutional change, joint implementation by the public and private sector and integrated management of the WEL nexus.

16 May 2012: The 2011/2012 European Report on Development (ERD) “Confronting Scarcity: Managing Water, Energy and Land for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” stresses that better governance and a combination of public and private action are necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Commissioned by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), and the German Development Institute (GDI), the report predicts a 40% increase in energy and water demand by 2030, and a 50% increase in demand for food over the same timeframe.

The report includes sections on: managing water, energy and land in a changing world; a transformation towards inclusive and sustainable growth; a framework for understanding the roles of the public and private sectors in managing natural resources; managing water stress; renewable energy – promoting a triple win; managing scarcity – investment in land; managing the water, energy and land (WEL) nexus – opportunities and challenges; public policy and governance implications; the role of the private sector in sustainable and inclusive natural resource management; and the role of the EU.

The report underscores that achieving inclusive and sustainable growth in the poorest countries requires “radical transformation” in the managing of WEL through institutional change, joint implementation by the public and private sector and integrated management of the WEL nexus. In order to address the scale and urgency of WEL challenges, ERD recommends that: demand patterns should reflect scarcity; quantity and quality of supply should be improved; efficiency should increase; and resilience against shocks should be increased along with benefits to the poorest.

ERD is funded by the European Commission and seven member States, namely Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and the UK. [Publication: 2011/2012 European Report on Development] [2011/2012 European Report on Development Webpage]

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