High-Level Panel on Water, Food and Energy

The growing food and energy crisis has attaracted the attention of the world's population, business leaders and politicians. However, the role of water as a key aspect connecting these two production worlds has been ignored in the discussion of this crisis. There is therefore an urgent need to examine the water, food and energy nexus to discuss how the international water, agriculture and energy communities can jointly contribute to solving the current food and energy crisis.

The Panel will work to produce a framework to analyse the various dimensions of the water, food and energy nexus helping to select priority issues, as well as a series of synthesis documents. This framework and the synthesis documents will serve to inform the policy debate about the water, food and energy nexus, and to make policy recommendations to be adopted at a series of major international policy events and by national Governments.

At the 5th World Water Forum, in a unique opportunity for exchange, representatives from the water, agriculture and energy sectors debated for the first time how humankind’s rising demands for food and energy can lead to greater cooperation among the sectors, rather than competition. In view of impending population growth, urbanisation and climate change, it is urgent to create harmonized strategies. Recognising the underdeveloped understanding of this nexus, panellists expressed their desire to continue to work with the World Water Council to develop further guidance for more coordinated management in this domain.