News

Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Masterclass (13-15 June 2022) and Winter School (8-12 August 2022) for Southern Africa

THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS
30 APRIL 2022

From 13 to 15 June 2022 the Water, Energy and Food (WEF) Nexus Masterclass Southern Africa will be organized. The Winter School will take part from 8 to 12 August 2022. These are capacity-building initiatives to support early career researchers, postgraduate students, managers, and practitioners in understanding nexus thinking, particularly the WEF nexus, as a transformative approach to sustainable natural resources management and socio-economic development. The online WEF Nexus Masterclass is a preparation for the face-to-face Winter School.

More info flyer at https://www.un-ihe.org/wef-nexus-masterclass-and-winter-school-southern-africa?back=747645

Application form https://www.waternetonline.org/download/data/download/00000101/WEF-Nexus-Masterclass-and-Winter-School-Registration-Form-2022.docx

Submit your application to waternet@waternetonline.org

Introduction

Achieving water, energy and food (WEF) security is a priority for southern Africa, especially under unfavourable c l imate change, increasing urbanisation, population growth, and advanced ecosystems degradation. Achieving WEF securities will require a collaborative and inclusive approach, which considers the interconnections and interdependencies between the three sectors. Since 2011, when the WEF nexus first came to prominence, various southern African actors have been championing it at various levels. There has been progress in building a shared understanding of the WEF nexus concept, using it to facilitate discourse through various dialogues, and recently developing frameworks and analytical models/tools.

The WEF Nexus Masterclass and Winter School are capacity-building initiatives to support early career researchers, postgraduate students, managers, and practitioners in understanding nexus thinking, particularly the WEF nexus, as a transformative approach to sustainable natural resources management and socio-economic development. As the field of nexus research is relatively recent, participants will be exposed to this rapidly developing and critically important way of thinking. Participants will improve their knowledge of the WEF nexus and get acquainted with the concepts, how to facilitate discourse and new frameworks, tools and methods for analysing the WEF nexus. The online WEF Nexus Masterclass is a preparation for the face-to-face Winter School.

What to expect

WEF Nexus Masterclass

The Masterclass is designed as a 3-day online introductory course to the WEF Nexus. The objective of the WEF Nexus Masterclass is to provide an introduction and foundation to the WEF nexus concept, analytical tools and their application in facilitating discourse, with a focus to introduce participants to systems thinking and some of the approaches that underpin the WEF nexus and serves as a foundational course and prerequisite for the in- person Winter School.

WEF Nexus Winter School

The objective of the WEF Nexus Winter School is to build on the understanding of the WEF nexus (from the Masterclass) to improve evidence-based decision- making capacities of early career researchers (< 5 years post PhD), postgraduates (Master and PhD), managers and practitioners towards (i) achieving simultaneous WEF securities, (ii) sustainable natural resources management, (iii) socio-economic developments, (iv) understanding WEF trade-offs and synergies, (v) innovating through the WEF nexus for job and wealth creation, and (v) linking science to informing policy and decision-making in their respective countries. Particular emphasis is set on developing transdisciplinary professional competencies to prepare participants to address complex grand challenges through transformative approaches.

The winter school will focus on:

Improving the ability to conceptualise the WEF Nexus linkages and potential impact on resource management and regional policies;
Strengthening skills and knowledge about tools and methods for WEF Nexus assessments, planning, monitoring and evaluation; and
Networking and mentoring, i.e., improving international communication between practitioners, postgraduates, early career researchers, senior researchers, and experts to build and consolidate a WEF network in southern Africa.

Who should apply?

Early career researchers, postgraduates, managers, practitioners ( NGOs, Government, River Basin Organisations), and stakeholders conducting research and development related to the WEF nexus and related fields such as agriculture, forestry, water, energy, engineering, climate change, ecosystems, and environment. Applicants must demonstrate an advanced (C1) English level (please, see the application form).