Due to the occasion of the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference the lecture series “The Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus“ takes place in Cologne. The lecture series is organised by the Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ITT) of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) and the Institute of Geography, University of Cologne.

By 2030, population will grow from currently 7 billion to almost 8.5 billion, the world will need around 40% more energy, 50% more food, and 30% more water. Thus, achieving water, energy and food security for the world’s growing population will be one of the grand challenges ahead of us. Water as a multi-functional natural resource plays a key role as it is a fundamental ingredient to almost all human activities like energy generation, food and fibre production, industrial production and to sustain the health of humans and ecosystems.

Worldwide trends influence the water sector but are beyond its boundaries and the water managers’ control. Pressures on water are related to energy and agricultural policies, land use and urban planning, international trade policies and come from within the water sector. The Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus describes these many complex relations, the trade-offs, and the opportunities. How policies should look like and be coordinated to address these issues is as yet not fully understood, and there is an urgent need for new approaches beyond the confined borders of sector policies.

The Lecture Series addresses these key issues by bringing scientists and experts from many disciplines together. It wants to contribute to the current global dialogue regarding the future of our planet which is the focus of the next Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Rio plus 20) in June 2012. The Lecture Series is open to the public.

Programme:

• Monday, 24 October 2011
  Taking a look into 2030 - managing water, energy and land for sustainable and inclusive development
  Imme Scholz, DIE
• Monday, 14 November 2011
  Conflicts over land and water: The role of large scale investors in Africa
  Michael Brüntrup, DIE and Tanja Pickardt, GIZ
• Monday, 5 December 2011
  Population growth, economic Development and Food Security
  Uwe Schneider, University of Hamburg
• Monday, 12 December 2011
  Dams: Why they are necessary despite all the criticism
  Waltina Scheumann, DIE
• Monday, 9 January 2012
  The world’s food security depends on irrigation - whether we like it or not
  Muhammad Mehmood-Ul-Hassan, ZEF
• Monday, 23 January 2012
  Water in development cooperation and Rio plus 20
  Christoph Merdes, BMZ

The latest information is always available at the Conference-Facebook page. For further information, please contact Mohammad Al-Saidi (mohammad.al-saidi@fh-koeln.de) or Rui Pedroso, Telephone: +49 (0)221-8275-2148.