
Valencia hosted the first GoNexus Winter School
From 15 to 17 January, the Spanish coastal town hosted the first GoNexus Winter School. A small group of 4 participants met at the Technical University of Valencia (UPV), which is coordinating the project – while more than 16 took part online.
The Winter School brought together students, researchers, and professionals to delve deeply into the project’s methodologies and results. It also a unique opportunity to share innovative GoNexus approaches, such as stakeholder engagement and integrated modeling of the WEFE nexus, while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration between participants from different institutions and backgrounds.
Indeed, the profiles of participants were varied, ranging from postgraduate students (masters and PhD level) to professionals and researchers in water-related fields.
Moreover, they came from a wide range of institutions, including the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the Technische Universität München, the Universidad Cheikh-Anta-Diop, the Politecnico di Milano, the Universitat Politècnica de València, the Universidad Castilla-La Mancha, the Universidad de Chile and UNU-FLORES, among others.
‘Raising awareness about the WEFE nexus, especially among the younger generations, is crucial because they will be the future decision-makers and leaders who will have to address the complex challenges of managing water, energy, food, and ecosystems sustainably’, explained Manuel Pulido Velázquez, GoNexus coordinator.
‘By equipping them with the knowledge, tools, and holistic perspective that GoNexus promotes, we empower them to tackle these challenges with innovative, science-based solutions that consider interconnected systems. Their involvement ensures that the principles of nexus management are reflected in future policies and practices.’
Broadly speaking, the Winter School followed a methodology designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the GoNexus approach.
The course was divided into six blocks, each consisting of a theoretical and a practical component:
- GoNexus Approach: This module introduced participants to the GoNexus project framework and its unique approach to modelling the WEFE (Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems) nexus. Participants explored the project’s objectives, methodology, and the innovative tools used to address interconnections and trade-offs within the nexus.
- GoNexus Dialogues: Participants explored the GoNexus Dialogues, which incorporated diverse stakeholder perspectives into WEFE nexus management.
- WEFE Nexus Large-Scale Modelling: This module focused on the principles and applications of large-scale WEFE nexus modelling. Participants explored global and continental modelling approaches that capture interdependencies across water, energy, food, and ecosystems sectors.
- WEFE Nexus River Basin Modelling: Participants explored river basin-level modelling, focusing on how WEFE nexus dynamics play out on a localised scale.
- Solutions and SEF (Solution Evaluation Framework): This module introduced the Solution Evaluation Framework (SEF), an analytical tool within the GoNexus project designed to evaluate potential solutions for effective WEFE nexus management.
- Evidence-Based Decision-Making: This concluding module highlighted the value of evidence-based decision-making, helping participants understand how nexus modelling can drive effective policy and promote resilient, sustainable management across sectors.
The practical activities enabled participants to interact with the models and methodologies used in GoNexus, fostering discussions among them and analysing the complexities of managing WEFE’s nexus systems.
Finally, this event would not have been possible without the participation of the GoNexus project’s partners, both on-site and online. In details, Adrian Gonzalez-Rosell (UPM) presented on solutions, Rens van Beek covered global modeling, and UPV staff discussed stakeholder engagement, local models, and evidence. Experts from Adelphi, BRGM, POLIMI, Utrecht, ETH, and UPM contributed to various sessions.
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