Back to news
13 Feb 2015 | Press releases

Regional water-energy-food nexus workshop held in Kathmandu

2 mins Read

70% Complete

A South Asia Regional Fulbright Alumni Workshop on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus convened in Kathmandu on February 10-12, 2015. The workshop assembled 45 South Asian alumni of the Fulbright, Humphrey, and International Visitors Leadership Programs, and another 40 regional and international experts, to promote shared understanding on water, energy, and food issues.

Fulbright Commission Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Vasily, said “This workshop brings together Fulbright alumni from across the region to discuss these important issues and therefore sustains the overall Fulbright Program goal of fostering mutual understanding among peoples of countries around the world.” The Fulbright Commission is the main workshop organizer, supported by the World Bank Group, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation (NWCF), and the U.S. Embassy in Nepal.

The water, energy, and food sectors are traditionally considered in isolation, but the workshop promoted cross-sectoral integration on these issues to encourage effective resource management. During special remarks, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Fatema Z. Sumar said, “To attain food security, we need to use water and energy more efficiently and lessen agriculture’s negative effects on the water supply. Better water resources management, sustainable and equitable access to water and use of improved, energy-efficient technologies are steps in this direction.”

Underlining the significance of water in unlocking the economic potential of a country, World Bank’s Lead Water Resources Specialist Dr. William Young said, “There’s growing recognition that efficient management of water resources must become an integral part of the solutions needed to end poverty and boost shared prosperity in South Asia.”

“Our current de-nexused approaches have led to enormous avoidable wastes,” added Dipak Gyawali of Nepal Water Conservation Foundation. Experts have estimated that wasted food between harvesting and dining table averages as high as 50 percent of the production. By 2030, demands for food, along with water and energy, are projected to increase by 30-50 percent globally, largely due to population and economic growth.

Dr. Philippus Wester, ICIMOD’s Chief Scientist of Water Resources Management said, “Mountains play a special role in the water-energy-food nexus, especially in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Rivers originating from the mountains support agriculture and hydropower across the region and are a source of water for downstream communities.” Dr. Wester concluded, “The ever deepening links between water, energy, and food make it imperative that countries come together on a multilateral footing to optimize the benefits inherent in the water-energy-food nexus.”

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related contents

Continue exploring this topic

10 Jun 2022 Press releases
UNDP and ICIMOD sign an agreement to build resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayan countries

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), headquartered in Nepal, entered into a partnership to promote ...

20 Dec 2019 Press releases
In service of mountains and people

Breaker of taboos Didar Ali, one of the founding members of the Bulbulik Heritage Centre in Gulmit, Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan, has dedicated himself to ...

1 Mar 2016 Press releases
Nepal gears up to build earthquake resistant structures using bamboo

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Agni Prasad Sapkota, Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation ...

21 Apr 2022 Press releases
Land Cover Monitoring System for Nepal Launched

Kathmandu, 22 April: The Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) is pleased to announce the launch of Nepal’s National ...

26 Apr 2023 Press releases
亚洲史上最严重的酷暑四月:科学家们敦促采取行动避免新都库什- 喜马拉雅地区的灾难性影响

Read in english   随着高温热浪袭击了孟加拉、中国、印度、缅甸和巴基斯坦,本月亚洲气温记录被刷新。国际山地发展中心(ICIMOD)的科学家们敦促全球政府和企业加快减排速度,发展机构来投入更多的气候资金,以努力加快脚步来帮助该地区适应气候变化。 周一(4 月 17 日)孟加拉首都达卡的气温达到41 摄​​氏度,印度普拉亚格拉吉达到 45 摄氏度,缅甸葛礼瓦达到 44 摄氏度。中国长沙、福州创当地最早入夏记录,浙江的几个城市也刷新了全省4月最高气温记录。 4 月 ...

8 Jun 2022 Press releases
Adaptation solutions portal launched

Kathmandu, 8 June: ICIMOD’s Resilient Mountain Solutions (RMS) Initiative is pleased to announce the launch of its

21 May 2015 Press releases
Streamline ecotourism in protected areas, say experts

More than 200 experts, policymakers, government officials, and journalists who participated in the three-day international conference on ecotourism in protected ...