We are moving forward with our new EJWP3 project in partnership with the University of Thessaly, following its launch last month in Brussels during our Training Week. The initiative, “Towards a Successful Nexus Project,” is aimed at supporting European stakeholders in the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) initiative.
EJWP3 is currently conducting interviews of nexus proposal reviewers and project officers to better identify the needs, gaps, criteria, and KPIs of nexus projects are. A workshop in Athens, Greece based on EJWP3 findings will also be facilitated in coordination with the second NEXUSNET management committee. Results of this project will be drawn from information revealed in the interviews, actionable outcomes of the workshop, and then recommendations on how the nexus community should move forward, based on insights from the interviews and workshop.
“This project is a fine opportunity to look across borders to see how the concerns and strengths of the NEXUSNET project can be addressed most effectively. We have a great group working on this, including project leadership from EJWP3 participants Dimitris Kofinas and Nikos Mellios from the University of Thessaly, and of course Professor Chrysi Laspidou at the university who is a key leader in the NEXUSNET project itself, founder of the nexus network and an EJWP Ambassador,” said EJWP Director Naomi Timmer.
Deliverables in this project also include a strategic communication pitch for target audiences, visual promotional materials designed to inform and inspire engagement, and a collaborative business case. EJWP3 will come together in Athens in the week of 10 October to present the assessment and will engage directly with project stakeholders in Brussels on 25 October.
Background: Urbanization, population growth, climate change, and other anthropogenic stresses create a need for a more integrated approach in the use of resources. The Water-Energy-Food Nexus is a holistic approach for resources management that takes into account the interlinkages between water, energy and food systems, toward a more sustainable system. NEXUSNET is a COST Action that aims at creating a network of researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to carry the nexus thinking forward.
For more information, visit the NEXUSNET website.