Technical Services to support the implementation of a water-energy-food nexus project aiming to strengthen the resilience of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the face of climate change

The project “Addressing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Agriculture” (“WEF Nexus project”) is part of the Mexico-CARICOM-FAO Initiative "Cooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbean” (“Resilient Caribbean Initiative”) which recognizes the special vulnerability of Caribbean
SIDS in the face of climate change and other global systemic risks, and seeks to contribute to strengthening their resilience through a series of interventions aimed at increasing food and nutrition security and the wellbeing of the most vulnerable populations. The WEF Nexus project is currently being implemented in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica and Saint Kitts and Nevis. These SIDS are highly challenged with the dwindling availability of renewable freshwater resources, the fact that they are entirely dependent on imported fossil fuels to meet the rising energy demand associated with groundwater extraction and
desalination, and calls for shifting from the high rate of food imports to sustainable local production of fresh and nutritious foods that are accessible for all islanders.

The project proposes therefore a paradigm shift that acknowledges the interconnectedness between the water, energy and food sectors to address, simultaneously, land and water scarcity and food insecurity while lowering the use of fossil fuels, mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reducing climate change hazards. In contrast to the common approach, where water scarcity and energy generation are addressed separately in either the water or energy sector, this project, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), follows an integrated WEF methodology linking energy to water and the food production system and directly involving all relevant stakeholders. WEF approaches are a combination of agile home-based food production systems (home gardens, allotment gardens, hydroponics and aquaponics), rainwater harvesting techniques (small dams, rooftop water collection), irrigation techniques (drip irrigation, micro-irrigation, and sensor-driven irrigation), water
treatment (desalination, wastewater treatment) and clean energy sources (solar energy, wind energy, biogas).

Indeed, possibilities offered by the WEF nexus seem promising in the Caribbean Region since solar and wind energy are available as sustainable renewable energy sources that can increase irrigation efficiency for food production and deliver energy for innovative water treatment methodologies and desalination
techniques. Moreover, sharp drops in prices make solar-powered irrigation systems an affordable technology even for small-scale farmers in rural and urban areas. If a WEF initiative is organized as a joint undertaking, its success rate is particularly dependent on the managerial capacities of the participants to coordinate and organize collective actions for successful exploitation. The obvious economic advantages of leveraging bargaining power with a larger group results in reduced transaction costs and increasing possibilities for loans. These collaborations are most successful if they ally with and build on existing social structures of the urban gardeners involved1

Objective
Specifically, this project aims to improve water resource efficiency for improved food security and diversity in Caribbean SIDS using a nexus approach to water, soil, nutrient and energy management. It seeks to foster technological innovations as integrated packages that advance the use of clean energy sources (solar, wind and biogas), increase water use efficiency (water pumping, hydroponic and aquaponic systems, microirrigation) and promote the cultivation of fresh and healthy foods. The project has a special focus on smallscale farming, horticultural development and efficient water and energy use in both peri-urban and rural areas, and aims to scale out the approach to other areas in the Caribbean Region. The deployment of thesesystems is being accompanied by virtual and/or face-to-face capacity building measures for institutional decision-makers and around 70 farmers across the four countries, of which at least 10% are female. To facilitate the upscaling of the interventions at the national and/or regional level, the project emphasizes the continuous documentation of best practices and lessons learned.

In the Caribbean, many small islands are facing difficulties due to their dependence on foreign imports for food and energy and shortages of fresh water. These issues are made worse by climate change. The FAO CARICOM initiative will provide training and equipment to farmers to help them to produce more and with higher water efficiency. An important part of the project is a monitoring and evaluation system, so lessons from this intervention can be learned for other interventions