Online event in Zoom on November 6th 2025, 15:00-17:30 CET

Register via Zoom: https://unavarra.zoom.us/meeting/register/JiJGRpWyRdK_WrM63MNLKQ

Summary of the symposium in PDF.

Background

The OECD projects the global population will reach 9 billion by 2050, driving unprecedented resource demands: water needs increasing by 55%, energy consumption by 80%, and food production requirements by 60%. These interconnected pressures will fundamentally reshape land use patterns and intensify competition for finite resources, making Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus approaches essential for sustainable development. 

This symposium presents cutting-edge research on WEF nexus science, examining critical knowledge gaps and emerging solutions. Distinguished keynote speakers and leading early-career researchers will address key themes, including resource interlinkages and biodiversity implications, technological innovations and policy frameworks, multi-level governance challenges, and pedagogical strategies for training the next generation of sustainability scientists. Sounds interesting? Then see you in November!

Agenda for this year’s theme – Cross-nexus solutions:

• 3 PM: Welcoming words by Rick Hogeboom (Water Footprint Network)
• 3-4 PM: IPBES Nexus Report on Interlinkages between Biodiversity, Water, Food, Health in the context of Climate Change, 1st keynote speech by Paula Harrison (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)
• 4-5 PM: Presentations by early-career scientists on different WEF aspects:
  1. Conditions enabling effective stakeholder interaction for policy coherence in the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus by Caro Mooren, Utrecht University (NL)
  2. Planting the Seeds of Success: Engaging Youth in Agriculture through Board Games and Simulations by Elizabeth Ehi Ogar, Purdue University (USA)
  3. Machine learning for building smart index insurance contracts: trade-offs between model performance and policy efficiency by Marcos Roberto Benso, University of Sao Paulo (BR)
  4. Is Improving Still Best? Lessons from Carbon, Biodiversity, and Water Offsetting by Felice Diekel, University of Twente (NL)
  5. Overarching panel session with experts
• 5-5:25 PM: Current Trends in WEF Nexus Education Research: Facilitating Future Systems Thinkers, 2nd keynote speech by Chelsie Romulo (University of Northern Colorado, USA)
• 5:25-5:30 PM: Closing words by Daniel Chico (EVREN)

Partners

If you have any questions, please reach out to the symposium organising committee:

• Gautamee Baviskar (g.s.baviskar[at]utwente.nl)
• Pedro Silva (p.g.camaradasilva[at]utwente.nl)
• Oleksandr Mialyk (o.mialyk[at]utwente.nl)
• Maite M. Aldaya (maite.aldaya[at]unavarra.es)
• Diego Sesma-Martín (diego.sesmam[at]unirioja.es)