- Name:MedECC Assessment Report: Interlinking Climate Change with the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus in the Mediterranean Basin
MedECC Assessment Report: Interlinking Climate Change with the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus in the Mediterranean Basin
OBJECTIVES
The report synthesizes existing scientific literature, data, and expert knowledge on climate change impacts and their interactions with water, energy, food, and ecosystem security in the Mediterranean. It analyzes current trends, future projections, and the effectiveness of existing policies and practices.
Main Results: The Mediterranean region is a climate change hotspot experiencing accelerated warming, altered rainfall patterns, and sea-level rise, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities related to water scarcity, energy dependence, food insecurity, and ecosystem degradation. These challenges are interconnected through the WEFE nexus, creating complex synergies and trade-offs. Current efforts to address these challenges face a gap between concept and implementation due to data limitations, insufficient understanding of nexus interactions, limited incentives and investment, and inadequate governance.
Impacts on Key Sectors: Climate change and WEFE nexus challenges significantly impact key sectors in the Mediterranean, including water resources, agriculture and food production, energy systems, coastal communities, and terrestrial and marine ecosystems. These impacts include increased water stress, reduced agricultural yields, threats to energy security, heightened risks of coastal flooding and erosion, biodiversity loss, and degradation of ecosystem services.
Recommendations: The report recommends enhancing institutional capacities for integrated WEFE management, including:
(1) strengthening science-policy interfaces;
(2) increasing funding for nexus-focused research and implementation;
(3) fostering regional dialogue and collaboration;
(4) developing pilot nexus approaches and models; and
(5) promoting integrated and multi-level governance strategies to address the complex interactions between climate change and the WEFE nexus.
Partners: Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC), a network of scientists from across the Mediterranean region. The report also acknowledges financial support from various institutions (not explicitly listed in the provided summary).
Link to Study:
https://www.medecc.org/medecc-reports/climate-wefe-nexus/
