Extended Abstract Deadline for the
Nexus 2014 Conference
The
Nexus Conference, which takes place March 4-7, 2014
in Chapel Hill, NC, USA,
will bring together leaders in
business, government, NGOs and
research to discuss
innovative and sustainable solutions
that address the
intersection of the world’s water,
food, and energy needs
and uses in a changing climate.To
submit an abstract,
The Nexus approach requires systemic thinking and a
quest for integrated solutions to guide our decision-making about
resource use and development and move to a more sustainable planet.
The plenary themes for the Nexus 2014 Conference are:
Urban Challenges of the Nexus:
Local and Global Perspectives
The world has passed the second wave of urbanization
with more than 50% of the population now living in urban areas—expected
to rise to 60% by 2030. The challenge of providing increased food,
water and energy is huge and interlinked.
Nexus Perspectives: Water, Energy
and Climate
Water and energy have a symbiotic relationship; all
types of energy provision consume water, and water supply and sewage
disposal require energy. This theme explores traditional and
alternative energy sources and the opportunities moving forward.
Nexus Perspectives: Water, Food and
Climate
Agriculture is one of the dominant water users in the US
and abroad. Understanding how to conserve water and reuse water can
have a dramatic effect on water availability and food production in the
future.
Natural Resource Security for
People: Water, Food and Energy
As the challenges for water, energy and food become
greater, the competition for these resources will also increase.
Individuals, companies, and countries need to think critically about
resource management and use, both now and in the future.
Entrepreneurial Environmentalism
and Development
New businesses are increasingly adopting an
environmental outlook. What are start-ups in North Carolina and around
the world doing to address water, food, climate and energy?
Nexus Corporate Stewardship: How
Business is Improving Resource Use
Industry is a great user of water and energy, and a
major food producer. How can corporations address competitive demand
and related resource use? What are corporate best practices in
sustainability and “greening” business?
Financing the Nexus: Policy and
Practice
Often funding is through sectors. In a more interlinked
world, how can traditional and new funding be utilized?
Below are potential areas for abstract submissions. They
do not represent what will be chosen, but topics that we will explore
during the Conference. We hope you will join us in March.
Sincerely,
The Water Institute at UNC
______________________________________________________________________________________
Urban Challenges of the Nexus:
Local and Global Perspectives
- What is the potential
for urban agriculture and urban water reuse?
- What are the challenges
for urban energy and water supply under increased climate change?
- What are policymakers
doing to address the needs of cities of the future?
- What are the drivers
for sustainable urban development through a Nexus lens?
- How can city utilities
work together to reduce waste?
- How well do cities
ensure the protection of ecosystems and watersheds necessary for
water supply?
- How do we address Nexus
pressures through urban planning?
- What can be done to
build resilience of the Nexus?
Nexus Perspectives: Water, Energy
and Climate
- What role do dams play
in the Nexus? Are we measuring impacts and benefits correctly?
- Consumer behavior:
What’s the tipping point for reducing water and energy use?
- What can be done to
reduce water use in solar provision?
- Biofuels and water use:
Complementary or competition?
- What can be done to
improve water and energy efficiency in irrigation?
- Fracking: A challenge
or opportunity for energy and water management?
- How do rising US energy
demands affect water supply?
- What can we learn from
the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster?
- What are practical
solutions to increase water efficiency in energy production?
- Are there different
approaches to managing energy and water supplies in different
regions?
- Biofuels: How do we
identify opportunities and manage risks in developing countries?
Nexus Perspectives: Water, Food and
Climate
- How can we safely use
wastewater in food production?
- Irrigating from the
sky: Is rainwater harvesting a viable solution to adaptable water
resource management at a large scale?
- How are women and girls
influenced by resource depletion?
- Population growth:
Addressing pressures on water, food, and energy supplies.
- What are the key
challenges for soil retention and water use?
- How can we minimize
food and water waste at the consumer and producer level?
- What are the
implications of climate change on fisheries within inland waters?
- Efficient agriculture:
How can energy use be reduced?
- What are the
innovations in managing the agriculture, groundwater and energy
Nexus?
- Policy challenge:
Sustaining US water aquifers while exporting food abroad?
- Eating and drinking in
the future: How do we provide for billions more people?
- How can integrating
sanitation and bio-waste management address local energy
production and food security?
- What are climate
change’s implications for livestock and their need for water?
- What are the drought
preparedness and planning in the US to deal with lose of
agriculture production?
- What are the
implications of the Climate-Water-Food-Energy Nexus to Africa?
- What can be done to
improve the water and energy efficiency for food production
through irrigation?
- Mega producers:
Collaborating around the Water-Food-Energy Nexus
Natural Resource Security for
People: Water, Food and Energy
- What are the security
implications of climate change on water and food?
- What role can
Integrated Resource Management play in the issue of security and
the Nexus?
- What are the security
implications of scarcity in global water?
- Thirsty Crops – a
security issue?
- What are the
transboundary challenges of the Nexus?
- Are ecosystems the
basis of water security?
- Energy, resources, and
the environment: New security parameters?
- Rethinking human
security in a Nexus world
Entrepreneurial Environmentalism
and Development
- What are new
innovations in monitoring water and energy use at the individual,
household, corporate, and governmental levels?
- Can start-ups “green”
their business and address Nexus issues from the start?
- How is mobile
technology influencing consumer behavior change? Do apps like
Nike’s sustainability app have any impact on what people buy?
- Solar energy: In a
climate-challenged world, can it move from boutique to mainstream?
- CSAs and the local food
movement: Do small business and farms have a big effect on energy
use reduction?
- How are entrepreneurs
driving the renewable energy and water conversation and reality?
- Venture capital: what
is the pulse on investing in Nexus solutions?
- How is grassroots
advocacy changing the conversation around Nexus issues?
- Microfinance and new
businesses in developing countries: Is there a link?
Nexus Corporate Stewardship: How
Business is Improving Resource Use
- Public-private-government
partnerships: Examples of collaboration for the Nexus approach.
- How is biofuel
production related to food production?
- What can business do to
reduce their water footprint in energy provision?
- Business water risk:
What are the implications for water policy and management?
- How do companies begin
to address Nexus issues as business strategy and not just
Corporate Social Responsibility?
- Who is leading the
charge around improving corporate environmental practices?
- What are the investment
opportunities surrounding Nexus-related business?
- How do we calculate
financial risk related to water, food, and energy shortages?
- What are emerging
technologies to address Nexus issues?
- What are the elements
for successful business approaches to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus?
- What are the industry
and environmental implications for fracking and how can they be
addressed?
Financing the Nexus: Policy and
Practice
Development Bank Financing for the Nexus
- Who’s paying: The role
of multilateral banks in the Nexus?
- Lessons for addressing
climate and the Nexus – are there financial tradeoffs to be made?
- What role could the
development banks play in protecting financing for ecosystem
services for the Nexus?
- Drinking water as a
priority use of water in the context of international investments
in agriculture?
Foreign and Impact Investment for the Nexus
- How can we grow impact
investing?
- What role can FDI play
in Nexus funding?
- How do we begin to
‘value’ the ecosystems that underpin our supply?
- What are the elements
that support the creating of public-private partnerships for the
Nexus?
Organizing Framework Setting Out the Capital Market
System Structure to Address Nexus Issues
- How can we generate
demand for appropriate behavior by financial institutions?
- How can the markets
better relate to sustainable development?
- How can we increase
fund managers’ influence on flow and cost of capital?
- How can corporate and
sovereign debt be utilized?
Role of Government and ODA in Financing and Regulating
the Nexus
- What can be done to
regulate water, food and energy futures?
- What could be done to
set up a global framework for Nexus sustainability reporting?
- What role can ODA play
in Nexus funding?
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