Effective decision-making in water resource management is often impeded by the fragmented use of diverse approaches among different sectors (water, energy, food and environment). This fragmentation leads to inconsistent data, inefficiencies, conflicting results and challenges in integrated planning. To overcome this, FAO Regional Offices for Near East and North Afri+ca (NENA) and for Asia-Pacific (RAP) aim to develop a new tool under the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS). The tool will leverage water accounting data to understand the balance of use and future demand across the Water-Energy-Food-ecosystem (WEFE) domain against available resources over time at different scales. By providing a robust yet adaptable framework, it will support sustainable water resource management across the WEFE nexus.
The Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS), led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, seeks to bridge gaps in practice and innovation to drive transformative change in water, land, and agriculture management, particularly in the face of climate change. It focuses on enhancing system preparedness for water, food, and climate challenges through improved governance, capacity building, and e-learning.
For 2024-2025, the work plan centers on “Integrated Water Solutions: Navigating Climate Change and Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus Dynamics.” The FAO Regional Office for Asia-Pacific leads Strategic Priority 1: Nexus Thinking, promoting cross-sectoral, inclusive decision-making to optimize resource use and implement sustainable WEFE-based solutions.
To support nexus-based decision-making, FAO, in collaboration with FutureWater, is developing a tool that leverages Water Accounting data to provide accessible insights into WEFE dynamics. This tool will integrate WEAP and its API into an Excel environment, streamlining scenario analysis for both projections and interventions. By combining the strengths of both platforms, it will offer an intuitive, standardized, and collaborative approach to Water Accounting, contributing to a more harmonized decision-making framework.
