Online instructor-led course for stakeholders from Mediterranean countries
Dimensions of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus
October 2025 (dates tbc)
This online training course is addressed to targeted policy makers and experts from the beneficiary countries of the GEF/ UNEP-MAP MedProgramme(Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, and Tunisia), to have their capacities enhanced to be able to better understand specific Nexus interlinkages and to be able to take an active role in promoting joint solutions with cross-sectoral benefits. Participation in the course, as well as the download of the completion certificate, has no costs for the participants.
What you will learn
This 4-module instructor-led online course:
Key words: WEFE frameworks, drivers, scenario development, trade-offs, nexus assessments, data integration, climate change, responses options, strategies, stakeholder engagement, monitoring solutions, financing, governance.
Learn from case studies and engage with experts and fellow practitioners in a dynamic learning environment: the course presents case studies of WEFE assessments in the Mediterranean and examples of projects. Discussion forums and live sessions enable peer learning and provide the opportunity for participants to interact with topic experts.
Introduction
Sustainable development increasingly depends on recognizing and managing the interconnections between water, energy, food, and ecosystems. Agriculture, the largest freshwater user, and energy production both rely heavily on water. At the same time, food and water systems are energy-intensive, making the interdependence clear. Freshwater ecosystems play a vital role by providing essential goods and services like flood regulation and water purification.
However, traditional policy and management approaches often treat these sectors in isolation, leading to inefficiencies, conflicts, and unintended impacts. Addressing today’s complex challenges as climate change, resource scarcity, population growth, and environmental degradation requires an approach that break down silos and promote a brother vision.
This interconnectedness is captured in the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus. The Nexus approach is a way of ensuring more integrated and sustainable use of resources that both reaches beyond the traditional silos and can be applied at all scales.
The WEFE Nexus aims to increase water, energy, food security without compromising ecosystem services. Its components are present in 14 of the 17 SDGs and are therefore highly relevant in terms of working towards their implementation.
Objective
Enhance the capacities of policy makers and experts to deepen their understanding of specific nexus interlinkages and actively promote joint solutions that deliver cross-sectoral benefits in the Mediterranean basin.
Learning objectives
The course will enable participants to:
- Gain an overview of the key concepts and frameworks behind the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus, with relevance to the Mediterranean basin.
- Become familiar with scenario development methodologies and tools for planning and decision-making.
- Understand key indicators and metrics for assessing the WEFE Nexus and the importance of evidence and data collection.
- Have an up-to-date overview of climate change impacts, adaptation, and mitigation from a WEFE nexus perspective, with a focus on regional climate projections for the Mediterranean.
- Consider WEFE nexus response options and solutions, including stakeholder engagement, monitoring, financing and governance.
Participants
Target participants are policymakers and experts from the MedProgramme beneficiary countries sharing the Mediterranean basin: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, and Tunisia.
This is an introductory course. Participants are expected to be familiar with sustainable development challenges, with particular attention to one or more of the WEFE nexus elements, and the impacts of climate change on them. Participants are also expected to be informed on current progress, plans, and constraints in the MedProgramme beneficiary countries in aspects related to the WEFE nexus.
Gender balance is very important for all course partners; we especially encourage women to participate in this course.
Modality and time dedication
The course consists of four modules, each comprising an introductory video, mandatory and recommended readings, web sites and videos, and a discussion forum. In the forum, questions will be provided to facilitate knowledge sharing. Participants need to complete a short quiz at the end of each module to be able to move on to the next module. The quiz will be based on the introductory video and mandatory readings.
This is a non-synchronous online course. Participants may connect to the virtual campus at the time of their preferences. Each module is designed to take 4 hours of dedication to cover the mandatory contents, including participation in the discussion forum, interactive exercises, and responding to the module quiz. In addition, each module will include a live online session (zoom), designed to provide an in-depth exploration of one or more key topics covered within the module. These live sessions present the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences from the ground.
Contents
- Module 1: Introduction to the WEFE Nexus
- Module 2: Scenario Development and Nexus Assessments for informed decision-making
- Module 3: WEFE Nexus interlinkages in the context of Climate Change
- Module 4: Operationalizing Nexus Solutions
The course is online, and it is non- synchronous, therefore, participants are not requested to login at a specific time. Each participant can login to the course and read course contents at the best time for him/her. The only synchronic moment, where participants are invited to connect at the same dates and times are during the 4-live sessions, 1 per module.
Previous modules always remain available, so once module 2 is open, module 1 will remain available, and likewise for all other modules.
Language
The course’s materials will be in English. During the online sessions/webinars simultaneous interpretation will be available between English and Arabic. Participants are expected to be able to read and understand English.
Course approval criteria and certificate
Answering multiple-choice questions at the end of each module is a condition to move on to the next module, completing the course, and receiving a course certificate. Participants have up to three chances to obtain at least 60% correct responses, and in all cases the platform will indicate the wrong answers. Participants who complete all modules will receive a certificate granted by the course organizers. Participation in the course, as well as the download of the certificate, has no costs for the participants.
Course Partners
Global Water Partnership (Mediterranean)
GWP is an international network created in 1996 to foster the implementation of IWRM: the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources, in order to maximise economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of ecosystems and the environment. The GWP Network is open to all organisations recognising the endorsed IWRM principles (States, national/regional/local government institutions, intergovernmental organisations, international/national NGOs, academic/research institutions, private sector companies, public utilities). It has 13 Regional Water Partnerships, 85 Country Water Partnerships, and 3,000 Partners located in 172 countries.
The UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment is a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) centre of expertise, dedicated to improving the management, development and use of freshwater resources from the local to the global level. The UNEP-DHI Centre has been in operation since 1996 and has been co-funded by UNEP, Danida and DHI since 2001. During this time, the quality and relevance of the work of the UNEP-DHI Centre has resulted in it becoming a core resource for UNEP’s work on freshwater issues, and in delivering its Programmes of work and Freshwater strategies. The UNEP-DHI Centre has attained global recognition for its work in promoting sustainable water resources management and supporting the water-related SDG targets.
Cap-Net is an international network for capacity development in sustainable water management. It is made up of a partnership of autonomous international, regional and national institutions and networks committed to capacity development in the water sector. At Global level Cap-Net works with 23 regional and country level capacity development networks with about 1,000 member organizations in 120 countries, and numerous international partners. Cap-Net delivers training and education to water professionals in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Language: English.
Structure: 4 modules.
Level: Introductory.
Content: readings, videos, forums.
Time: 22 hours.
Total time dedication: 6 weeks (September 15 to October 31).
Institutions: GWP Med, Cap-Net, UNEP-DHI.
Certification: upon approval of quizzes.
