Integrated Assessment of Climate, Land, Energy and Water

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• Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9789201139207
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Mechanical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This publication presents the findings of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the development and application of the integrated climate, land, energy and water (CLEW) framework. Together with other UN partners, the IAEA has developed this framework in response to global challenges such as ensuring universal access to food, energy and water, to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals. The publication reflects the objectives of the CRP to expand and improve the knowledge base, tools and toolkits available for integrated assessment of climate, land, energy and water, as well as demonstrate the applicability of these tools in different countries facing diverse challenges. The research results help to identify practical strategies and policies for coherent development and management of land, water and energy resources, and responses to climate change.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

Climate change and the provision of energy, food and water are among the most important global development challenges faced today. Hundreds of millions of people lack access to basic food and water supplies, and billions lack access to modern forms of energy. At the same time, there is a need to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Supporting Member States in their efforts to address these development challenges closely aligns with the IAEA’s mandate, with many Member States applying nuclear techniques for food production, energy, water management and environmental protection.

Critically, development challenges relating to energy, food, water and climate are closely linked: the production of food relies on direct and indirect inputs of energy and water; the provision of clean water requires energy for pumping and treatment; and the energy sector consumes water and biomass from agriculture and forestry. All three are connected to climate change, since energy and land use are the main sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), while food production, water supply and energy systems (e.g. hydropower) are entirely reliant on a stable climate. Furthermore, energy, water, land use and climate change are also related to other aspects of human and economic development.

Despite these linkages, the assessment and management of resources such as land, energy and water are often conducted in isolation by separate and disconnected agencies, running the risk that important interactions between resource systems may be overlooked or misunderstood. This can lead to less efficient policy design with unintended outcomes, which may be particularly detrimental in countries facing acute challenges relating to climate change and the access to energy, food and water.

This calls for the integrated assessment of these resources to support policy formulation and planning. To respond to this need, a climate, land, energy and water (CLEW) framework has been developed by the IAEA and other United Nations organizations and academic partners. The CLEW framework comprises a set of quantitative tools that can simultaneously assess strategies for the management of land (including food), energy and water resources, while accounting for how the use of these resources can contribute to climate change, as well as how these resource systems are likely to be affected by future changes to the climate. The CLEW methodology is sufficiently flexible to enable its application at global, regional, national and local levels to serve planners and decision makers in conducting policy assessments, policy integration and design, technology assessment and scenario analysis. The CLEW framework complements and extends the IAEA’s role in fostering the efficient and safe use of nuclear energy to provide access to clean, reliable and affordable energy by building capacity for the integrated and holistic assessment of energy strategies. This publication illustrates that the flexibility of the CLEW framework makes it suitable both for Member States using (or considering using) nuclear power and for other Member States.

1.2. Objective

The objective of this publication is to synthesize the development and application of the CLEW framework, along with specific outputs and findings, from studies conducted by Member States as part of a coordinated research project (CRP) on Assessing Interdependencies between Energy, Water, Land Use and Climate Change.

1.3. Scope

This publication compiles and summarizes the development and application of the CLEW framework in the CRP, which sought to improve the understanding of the interdependencies, trade-offs and co-benefits between the CLEW domains. The scope of this publication reflects the objectives of the CRP to expand and improve the knowledge base, tools and toolkits available for the integrated assessment of energy, water, land use and climate change, as well as to demonstrate the applicability of these tools in different countries facing diverse challenges. The CRP research presented helps to identify practical strategies and policies for the coherent development and management of land, energy and water resources, and responses to climate change, despite the preliminary nature of several of the studies.

This publication reports on the work of scientists from research institutions in ten developing and developed countries: Australia, Brazil, Cuba, Germany, India, Lithuania, Mauritius, South Africa, the Syrian Arab Republic and Thailand. The teams applied a range of methodologies to analyse the CLEW challenges in each of their countries, which differ in attributes such as geography and climate, economic development, resource endowments, vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and policy priorities. Approaches included bottom-up partial equilibrium models and accounting frameworks, and applications of institutional economics and political economy, among others. The wide range of problems and challenges addressed and the array of methodologies applied has helped to advance the state of knowledge of CLEW and to establish a solid foundation for future applications and studies. Guidance provided here, describing good practices, represents expert opinion but does not constitute recommendations made on the basis of a consensus of Member States.

1.4. Structure

Section 2 outlines the main challenges for sustainable development and the interlinkages between climate change, energy and water, along with the rationale for integrated assessment and features of the CLEW methodology. Section 3 presents an integrated summary of the country analyses conducted in the CRP, synthesizing individual country findings across different axes of the CLEW nexus (e.g. interdependencies between energy–water, water–climate, and so on) to ultimately address interdependencies, trade-offs and co-benefits integrating across all domains. Section 4 summarizes the findings and conclusions from the CRP, including the lessons identified with respect to the application of the CLEW methodology and areas for potential improvements, and the role of capacity building for its successful implementation.

Appendix I summarizes the development of the CLEW framework and the role of the IAEA. Appendix II provides more detail on the individual country analyses, including country background, methodology and scenarios, and selected findings and conclusions.

2. CLIMATE, LAND, ENERGY AND WATER

2.1. Challenges and interdependencies in sustainable development

Climate change and the provision of energy, food and water represent critical global development challenges. Over 800 million people are currently undernourished, with a similar number malnourished [1]. Furthermore, around 850 million people lack access to a basic water service, with an additional 1.3 billion spending up to thirty minutes to collect water from an improved source outside their homes [2]. Around 2.3 billion also lack access to basic sanitation services [2]. Simila...

Table of contents

• 1. INTRODUCTION
• REFERENCES
• ABBREVIATIONS
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW