Research Funding: The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)

Faculty Researcher: Prof Dr G M Tarekul Islam

Collaboration: Lead: Institute of Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan; Affiliate: Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), BUET

Duration: September, 2017 - June, 2019

---

Water and energy security are vitally important for sustainable development. The UN General has approved a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the proposed goals, Goal 2, Goal 6 and Goal 7 focus on the security of three basic elements (food, water and energy, respectively) for survival of human being, economic growth and development. About 27 indicators have been proposed for food, water and energy goals by the UN General Assembly Open Working Group for Sustainable Development Goals. The securities of three basic elements are interdependent and the nature of inter-dependency should be taken for designing the future objectives of the country and region. But, to date resource management is mostly done in unilateral sectoral approach, causing unintended trade-offs and conflicts among relevant sectors or areas. Unsurprisingly, a lot of discussions has been made to reflect integration approach in the SDGs process. In the Asia-Pacific, where faces significant challenges in ensuring water, energy and food security achieving the SDGs on food, energy and, water will require an integrated perspective across the plans of resource management. The project has explored synergies and trade-offs among food-water-energy targets that will help the countries (both developed and developing countries) to develop policies and actions to manage three resources effectively and meet related targets more swiftly.