ERD 2012 New context for NRM and the WEL nexus ERD consultation, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ERD 2012 New context for NRM and the WEL nexus

ERD consultation, 18-19 May 2011, Maastricht

• 1. Global context for NRM
• 1. The “social metabolism” story
• 2. Natural resources and consumption
• Idea of de-coupling, etc.
• 3. Main drivers of change
• Demographic (more people)
• Socio-economic (wealthier people)
• Environmental (e.g. climate change)

• 2. The WEL nexus

1. Water – Energy – Land

• fundamental for human development (i.e. well-being)
• essential for economic growth

2. Challenge of NRM is to allocate scarce resources for competing uses/users  WEL nexus addresses that challenge 3. Competition among uses/users is being exacerbated in new ways:

• Greater and more varied demands (likely to increase

scarcity locally)

• Climate change (likely to impose further restrictions)

• 2. The WEL nexus
• 4. Why look at the WEL intersection?
• Intersection highlights new competing uses that did not

exist, demand for land and water to produce energy (biofuels)...

• as well as new constraints, e.g prevention of deforestation

for climate change mitigation

• 5. Need for an integrated perspective
• Separate treatment may have made sense before, but

today the links are too deep.

• Integrated view is crucial for management  policies

across resources need to be complementary, compatible.

• 3. Managing the WEL – from Business as Usual (BAU)

to Inclusive and Sustainable Growth (ISG)

BAU

(current track)

ISG

(desired track) How do we manage natural resources to change tracks?

BAU: non-integrated use of natural resources; efficiency defined with regard to economic costs; labour-saving innovations dominate ISG: use of natural resources within planetary boundaries; economic growth for the benefit of human development; limits to growth?

• 3. Managing the WEL – from BAU to ISG

BAU

(current track)

ISG

(desired track) The WEL nexus addresses the new constraints facing development

• Limit / change our use of resources, either by force or

by will (idea of planetary boundaries)

• Will this imply limits to growth?
• Regional differences / unevenness

• 3. Managing the WEL – from BAU to ISG

BAU

(current track)

ISG

(desired track) These constraints also change patterns of international trade, investment, aid, migration flows

• How will different countries and sectors be affected?
• What alternative routes are opened?