Nexus in Action: Highlights from Valencia
Hosted in Valencia, Spain, the GoNEXUS Final Conference brought together leading researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Europe to reflect on key achievements and exchange insights on the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus.
This full-day event marked the culmination of years of collaboration and innovation under the GoNEXUS project, which launched in 2021.
Participants revisited the core objective of GoNEXUS: transforming Nexus thinking into Nexus doing.
Notable contributions came from sister EU projects such as REXUS, RETOUCH-NEXUS, and NEXOGENESIS, all of which underscored shared challenges and breakthroughs in resilient governance under climate change.
Key sessions explored solutions for sustainable and efficient management of the WEFE Nexus, showcased advanced modelling tools at global, continental, and river basin scales, and highlighted outcomes from stakeholder-driven Dialogues and GoNEXUS case studies.
Here are some real examples of Nexus thinking applied:
- In Spain, projections to 2045 revealed that urbanisation, tourism, and climate change are straining water and energy resources — especially in the south and east. The findings call for urgent action: energy efficiency, smarter irrigation policies, and regulatory reforms.
- In Africa, case studies from the Senegal and Zambezi River Basins showed how EU-supported Dialogues and policy briefs are shaping integrated management strategies. The focus: empower local actors, align cross-sector policies, and make the case for investment in Nexus-based solutions.
- In Italy, advanced WEFE modelling in the Lake Como basin showcased how coordinated reservoir operations and multi-objective decision tools can balance flood prevention, irrigation, and hydropower — offering a robust path forward under climate uncertainty.
The conference closed with a forward-looking roundtable that emphasised the need for integrated policy, finance mechanisms, and continued cooperation across scientific and policy domains.
As the project draws to a close, GoNEXUS leaves behind a robust foundation of tools, knowledge, and strategies for embedding the WEFE Nexus into European decision-making.
Together, these insights reflect GoNEXUS’s core achievement: moving from abstract concepts to tangible, locally tailored solutions.
With stakeholder engagement, cutting-edge modelling, and strong policy alignment, the GoNEXUS project has laid the groundwork for more resilient and integrated resource management in Europe and beyond.
