Mediterranean latest news

FAO officers met with other experts at the conference "Sustainability in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Synergies and Tradeoffs: Governance and Tools at various Scales" on 19-20 May 2014 in Bonn, Germany. The conference addressed the linkages across key natural resource sectors, so that jointly improving efficiency is considered to be a win-win strategy for human development and environmental sustainability.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) hosted the Workshop on Earth Observations (EO) and the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus. Participants discussed: examples of EO contributions to WEF nexus assessments; information needs of WEF policy-makers; gaps in monitoring information and services that could be addressed by EO; and development of a synthesis report on the state of EO applications to WEF issues.

Water is by far seen as the most important but vulnerable resource in the Mediterranean region. The major problems of fresh water resources management in the region arise from the pressure to meet the increasing food and domestic water needs in areas characterized by fast-growing population, water scarcity or limited water availability, exacerbated by extreme climate variability.

There is a growing interest in how to deliver energy services to people on a low income, not just for household use but to earn a living: the so-called ‘productive uses’ of energy. One sector that deserves particular attention is smallholder agriculture. Expanding access to modern energy services and equipment for farmers could help address food security, gender empowerment and rural poverty. But the issues are complex, barriers plentiful and examples sparse of successful delivery at scale.