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- The deployment of such a concerted and integrated action can be rooted in a nexus
approach, as a concrete contribution to the holistic framework of the SDGs.
The second part of the paper indicates how adopting a nexus approach is key to tackling the
numerous challenges to Sustainability. Essential framework dimensions of the nexus approach to
Sustainable Development are exposed, to illustrate how such integrated strategies can contribute
to turning common challenges into reinvented opportunities. It is worth
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emphasising that such integrated strategies can truly enhance regional integration and be positive
and constructive contributions to the multilateral agenda.
In particular, the COVID -19 crisis reinforced the need for taking health into account as a
transversal issue, in order to achieve the SDGs. Thus, Jeffrey Sachs considers health to be one of
the 6 "transformative SDGs".
The pandemic affected livelihoods and, forthwith, the global economy, resulting in a forecast of a
5.2% contraction of global GDP, according to the World Bank.
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Paradoxically, the COVID -19 crisis has demonstrated the ability of Nations to innovate and
rethink their action patterns within the framework of sustainable economic growth
and anchored in current and future challenges.
The nexus approach is built upon the belief that this is a unique momentum to adopt an
“holistic view that reconciles economic recovery, balancing economic aspirations with social
development and the sustainable management of ecosystems.”5
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This policy paper will also highlight the case study of Morocco as a key player in
multilateral and regional policies and as a strategic stakeholder for the deployment of the
nexus approach to SDGs in the EMA Region.
4 OECD & UNDP (2020). Framework for SDG Aligned Finance.
5European Climate Foundation & Positive Agenda Advisory (2021). Africa Green Resilient Recovery Report for
North Africa
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Policy Paper 2021 ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
THE RELEVANCE OF A NEXUS APPROACH IN THE
EURO -MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN REGION
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies
2 THE CASE FOR ROOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN A EURO -
MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE
The adoption at international level of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the subsequent
overall governance of the process should be accompanied by a “multi -scalar vision”, which
designates here a “geography sensitive approach” to the extent that it is deployed by emphasising
the geographic location. In other words, such an approach takes into account the geographic variable
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and is subsequently declined by continent, region and country.
If we take the Mediterranean region for example, the countries within it are either part of the
European track, the African track or the Asian one. It is to be underlined here that there is no specifi c
Mediterranean track.
Yet, the Mediterranean region needs its own integrated framework. Such an approach will lead to
the consideration of regional specificities: resources, opportunities, as well as challenges.
Indeed, the Mediterranean is a recognised h otspot for sustainable development, with significant
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challenges and opportunities.
This is also true for the whole African continent.
The Mediterranean area (as well as Africa) gathers together the least polluting countries in the world,
but it is also the region that is the most affected by climate change, thus the urgency to act coherently.
Therefore, the adoption of the geography sensitive approaches applied to Sustainable
Development has become a priority in the Euro -Mediterranean and African region, to the
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extent that “partial approaches neglecting cross -effects may underestimate or
overestimate the consequences of uncoordinated actions and lead to biased policy implications”
(Bhaduri et al. 2015).
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Policy Paper 2021 ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
THE RELEVANCE OF A NEXUS APPROACH IN THE
EURO -MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN REGION
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies
2.1 A Momentum to be Seized
The current momentum can be seized, in order to root Sustainable Development in a Euro -
Mediterranean and African Horizon.
Multiple arguments, building the case for the geography sensitive approaches, can be highlighted,
including: th e political and institutional momentum; the existing scientific expertise, in addition to the
compelling socioeconomic considerations.
2.1.1 The Political and Institutional Momentum
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The need to promote and structure a Mediterranean dynamic around Sustainabl e Development led
to multiple initiatives being adopted within the framework of regional organisations:
• The 2014 -2020 Ministerial Conferences on Environment and Climate Change, Blue Economy,
Transportation, Water, Energy, and Urban Development (Union for the Mediterranean)6;
• The 5+5 meetings on Water, Energy, Environment, Transportation and Tourism7;
• The Barcelona Convention: Adoption by the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the
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Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona
Convention) – namely the 21 Mediterranean countries and the European Union of the revised
Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD 2016 -2025), at the 19th Ordinary
Meeting (COP19) held in Athens, Greece, 9 -12 Fe bruary 2016 (MCSD 2016). This strategy is
rooted in the conviction that investment in the environment is the best way to secure long -term
sustainable growth (MCSD 2018).
• The 2021 New European Union Agenda for the Mediterranean emanates from the
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conscious ness of the urgency of coping with existing common challenges within the Euro -
Mediterranean and African region. It must be pointed out that the New Agenda for the
Mediterranean includes a dedicated Economic and Investment Plan, in order to accompany the
long-term socio -economic recovery in the Southern Neighbourhood.
“Under the new EU's Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation
Instrument (NDICI), up to €7 billion for the period 2021 -2027 would be allocated to its
implementation, which could mobilise up to €30 billion in private and public investment in
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the region in the next decade.”8
6 The Union for the Mediterranean. www.ufmsecretariat.org.
7 Le Dialogue 5 +5. www.medthink5plus5.org.
8 EU Neighbours South. Southern Neighbourhood: EU proposes New Agenda for the Mediterranean.
https://www.euneighbours.eu/en/south/stay -informed/news/southern -neighbourhood -eu-proposes -new -agenda -
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Policy Paper 2021 ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
THE RELEVANCE OF A NEXUS APPROACH IN THE
EURO -MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN REGION
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies This New Agenda for the Mediterranean targets multiple areas, including:
Human development, good governance and the rule of law;
Resilience, prosperity and digital transition;
Peace and security;
Migration and mobility;
Green transition: climate resilience, energy and environment.
In particular, this New Agenda for the Mediterranean comes at a time when the EU is also
launching the Green Deal, thereby accelerating the pace towards a green transition.
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A unique opportunity for commitment to “ a common and people -centered agenda ” is also offered
by the perspective of a post -COVID -19 recovery9, as we move towards COP26 in Glasgow by the
end of 2021 .
But one can question whether, at this stage, these agendas provide concrete roadmaps and financial
details that would allow a real alignment of IFIs and donor strategies related to the
implementation of the SDGs.
2.1.2 Scientific Expertise Establishing Growing Vulnerabilities in the Euro -
Mediterranean and African Region
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Political awareness and institutional actions are based on solid scientific work highlighting the
growing vulnerabilities of the Mediterranean region.
In 2019, a group of scientists from across the Mediterranean region gathered within the framework
of the UfM -supported MEDECC, to draft the first ever scientific report on climate change10
(Appendix A).Amongst the major findings of the aforementioned report, it has been established that
the Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average, making it one of the
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World’s hotspots. (UfM, 2018)11. If the status -quo, as well as current policies are to be maintained,
temperatures are projected to increase by 2.2° Celsius by 2040, whereas the Paris Agreement has
defined a +1, 5° Celsius target.
9 The European Commission. Joint Communication to the E uropean Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood: A new
Agenda for the Mediterranean.
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https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/joint_communicati on_renewed_partnership_southern_neighbourhood.pdf.
10 The Network of Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC). https://www.medecc.org/ .
11 The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). (2018). UFM Water Policy Framework for Actions 2030, Water Division.
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Policy Paper 2021 ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
THE RELEVANCE OF A NEXUS APPROACH IN THE
EURO -MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN REGION
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies
Interconnections between climate change and migration, security and stability issues came to the
fore vehemently over these last few years. These interconnections are acutely illustrated by the
emergence of concepts, such as: climate refugees.
Climate change is already considered by many security experts to be a “risk multiplier”or “threat
multiplier” (Bremberg 2018).12
For instance, as a “risk multiplier”, climate change leads to within -country displacements, as well as
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international migration flows. In accordance with a 2018 World Bank Report , “the worsening
impacts of climate change in three densely populated regions of the world could see over 140 million
people’s move within their countries’ borders by 2050, creating a looming human crisis and
threatening the development process ”(World Bank 2018).Additionally, climate change is
increasingly posing serious security threats including: “increased risk of famine, damage to
infrastructure, houses and shelter, and violent conflict are exacerbated by climate change through
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gradual changes in ecosystems and extreme weather events ”(Bremberg2018).
In the same vein, the EU Global Strategy of 2016 pointed out the intricate impact of climate
change on States and warned that it “‘exacerbate[s]potential conflict’ due to desertification, land
degradation, and water and food security”.13
The cross -border nature of the security challenges in the region strengthens the need for a
regional approach and for developing regional cooperation. It can be inferred, based on the
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readily available scientific data, that the urgency of the situation of extreme vulnerability in the
Mediterranean region cannot be overstated.
2.1.3 Socio -Economic Considerations
Striving to reach the SDGs through compliance with the orientations of the United Nations can
positively impact inclusive growth, employment and competitiveness, in so far as “SDGs call for
socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth” (Sachs 2015). A contrarian, ‘do -nothing’
policy would lead to massive job losses.
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According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO):
- Over 600 million new jobs need to be created by 2030, in order to keep pace with the
growth of the working -age population: around 40 million per year.
- 780 million working women and men are not earning enough to lift themselves and their
families out of US$2 -a-day poverty.
- Amongst developing and emerging countries, those that invested the most in quality
jobs from the early 2000s, grew nearly one percentage point faster every year since 2007
and experienced lower income inequalities.
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Policy Paper 2021 ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
THE RELEVANCE OF A NEXUS APPROACH IN THE
EURO -MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN REGION
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies - With around 200 million people out of work worldwide, full employment remains a distant
reality for many countries.
- Through out the world, women are often in undervalued and low -paid jobs, and lack access
to education, training and recruitment. They have limited bargaining and decision -making
power and still shoulder responsibility for most unpaid care work. Globally, only abou t half
of the world’s women are in the labour force, compared to nearly 80 per cent of men,
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earning on average 23 per cent less than men, with mothers particularly hard hit.
- Worldwide, over 73 million young people (aged 15 –24) were looking for work in 2014.The
global share of young people not in employment, education or training
exceeded more than one in five. In addition, more than a third of young people with jobs
in the developing world were living on less than US$2 a day in 201 3.Early school -leavers
are those most likely to remain trapped in jobs, where their rights are not respected and
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where they work in conditions of great insecurity and poverty.14
- The green economy could create 24 million new jobs by 2030. Nonetheless, if th e
appropriate policies are not implemented, the ILO predicts that 72 million full -time jobs
will be lost by 2030 due, to heat stress and temperature increases (ILO 2019).
In effect, recent statistics highlight the deteriorating figures for youth unemployment in the
MENA region (Appendix B), which is the highest in the World.
2.2 The need to broaden the geographical scope of Euro -Mediterranean perspectives to
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the whole African Continent.
There is abundant literature on the Sustainable Development Framework in the European Union, the
Mediterranean and the Sahel/Africa region separately. Nonetheless, scarce research focusses on the
interconnections between these geographical areas. This is a paradox, because these numerous
interconnections are growin g, more specifically between the European Union, North Africa and the
Sahel .
Let us look into key geographical facts and figures.
The Mediterranean Sea and the Sahel region are two prominent areas. The
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Mediterranean, as a sea, is 2.5 million km² and the Sahel/Sahara, as a region, is a little
over 7 million km² (from Mauritania to Sudan).
The European Union is 4.5 million km² with 512 million inhabitants.
14 International Labour Organisation (ILO). (2018). Decent Work and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The Mediterranean North African countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and
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Policy Paper 2021 ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS:
THE RELEVANCE OF A NEXUS APPROACH IN THE
EURO -MEDITERRANEAN AND AFRICAN REGION
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies Egypt) are5. 18 million km² with a combined population of 195.5 million.
• The Sahel/Sahara countries are 7.03 km² (Mauritania 1.03; Burkina Faso 0.3; Mali 1.2;
Niger 1.3; Chad 1.3; and Sudan 1.9), with a combined population of 123 million.
• Africa has a global surface of 30.5 million km² and a total population of 1.3 billion
(roughly equivalent to that of China and India respectively).
Let us also look at other relevant demographic figures.
• Close to50% of Africa’s present population is under 18.
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• By 2030, the African population under 18 will grow by 170 million.
• By 2050, 40% of young people under 15 in the World will be living in Africa.
• By 2100, 50 % of young people under 15 in the World will be living in Africa
(UNICEF).
As is demonstrated in Appendix C, strong demographic growth tendencies are prevalent in the
Southern Mediterranean Countries. In accordance with UNDP projections, the “greatest
demographic growth of the 21st century will take place in this region, the inhabitants of which are
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expected to almost double by 2050 (from 1.1 billion to 2.1 billion).”15
Adding geographical and demographic facts to the observed development divide between Europe
and Africa ( Appendix D ), through the existing conflicts and security threats in some parts of the
Continent, one can easily reach the conclusion of the need to accelerate the call for collective and
global “Euro -Mediterranean -African” action.
As stated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco during His Speech at the COP 24 in
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Poland: “The African Continent is the hardest hit by the negative impacts of climate change event
though it is not responsible for this unfair situation”16
The existence o f multiple regional frameworks in the region (EU, UfM, AU, 5+5, G5, EU -AU, EU -
ECOWAS etc.…) and numerous initiatives within such platforms of action, must be acknowledged.
15 Plan Bleu. 2020. Demographic Trends and Outlook in the Mediterranean.
https://planbleu.org/publication/tendancesdemographiques .
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16 Excerpts of the Speech by His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the COP24, December 2018.
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies The action of intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) remains crucial to address “climate -related
security risks”, in so far as they cross borders posing transnational threats. Intergovernmental
organisations retain a significant role in “developing policy solutions and enhancing internat ional
cooperation.” (Bremberg 2018).
The existence of such frameworks and initiatives in the “Europe -Mediterranean -Africa”
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region provides a stronger capacity for action and for transforming risks into opportunities
for inclusive growth, development and stability.
2.3 The Example of the Common Challenge of Rapid Urbanisation
The urban population in the South of the Mediterranean is estimated to be around 165 million and is
expected to increase by 80 million by 2030 (Sijilmassi 2019). It is also projected that 80% of the
population of the Southern Mediterranean countries will be living in urban areas ( Appendix C ). The
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rapidly growing urbanisation of the Southern Mediterranean countries is accompanied by significant
human pressure on the surrounding biodiver sity (Fraisse 2018). It is expected that, by 2025, more
than half of the 46,000 km of coastal zones could be urbanised, increasing at such a rate that, by
2000, it had already covered 40 % (Fraisse 2018).
Urban policies and infrastructures, with their impact on the overall well -being of populations,
will become increasingly important in the years to come. Therefore, urban policies and
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infrastructures are privileged areas, where local policies oriented by the SDGs are set to
demonstrate their concrete impact on the populations.
Cities will progressively become “laboratories of successes and failures”. Outcomes are to be
concomitantly compliant with the orientations of the SDGs. A thorough understanding of the
challenges facing the territories of the Mediterranean area can only be achieved through attention to
the diverse demographic and environmental characteristics of the region. In the face of the necessary
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changes, Mediterranean cities, including metropolises, both South and North, must anticipate change
and adapt their urban strategies. The “Sustainable Mediterranean City” must pave the way for a
resilient model of urban space development, that combines adaptation of territories with
environmental changes, as well as mitigation of environmental impacts related to human activity.
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies 3 THE NEXUS APPROACH AS AN APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGY TO
REACH SDGS
Sustainable development covers a wide range of activities intrinsically linked to Human
Development. The overall objective is to reach peace and stability in the World, through more
balanced and comprehensive socio -economic development.
The growing interrelated security and development challenges in the Euro -Mediterranean and
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African region increase the urgency to build accelerated strategies towards the implementation of
SDGs in the Euro -Mediterranean and African region .
Adoption of the nexus approach for the sake of achieving SDGs arises from awareness of the
inescapable urgency posed by the numerous threats related to climate change.
The original Rio conference discussed environment and development together, in a sort of nexus
way; however, after Rio we lost a little of this sentiment and the nexus concept faded away. Now,
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20 years later, we must reinvigorate the message of sustainable development through ‘a nexus
approach ’ (cited in Martin -Nagle et al. 2011, 5).
“The Rio + 20 Declaration ‘The Future We Want’ stresses the need for a balanced integration of
economic, social, and environmental concerns into economic development, and also highlights the
need to address food, water and energy security in such a manner as to reduce the adverse impacts
on nature (on water, biodiversity, air, and climate)”. ( Niet, Arianpoo, Kuling, and Wright 2021)
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The need for a nexus approach stems from the existing interlinkages between economic activities
and the SDGs.
“More specifically, economic activities can promote industrialisation, infrastructure and
innovation [SDG 9], economic productivity [SDG 8], housing and transport [SDG11],
production and distribution of food [SDG 2], generation and distribution of energy [SDG
7], managing waste [SDG 12], providing access to health [SDG 3], education [SDG 4]
and to information [SDG16]. But negative externalities abound and afflict the environment
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as well as people’s health. Nearly all types of economic activities emit GHGs [SDG 13],
many use vast amounts of water and/or are related to water pollution [SDG 6], cause
pollution and waste more generally [SDG 12], which erodes the natural environment
[SDGs 14 and 15], and harms people’s health [SDG 3], directly, due to pollution, and
indirectly as degradation of habitats may spread diseases from animals to humans –
which is the likely origin of the current coronavirus pandemic .” (Van Zanten and Van
Tulder 2020, 11).
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It has been argued extensively in the literature (Weitz et al. 2014; Boas et al. 2016; Allen et al. 2019)
that the nexus approach contributes to the promotion of “ co-benefits of economic activities” and to
the mitigation of “trade -offs” (Van Zanten and Van Tulder 2020).
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2.4 Defining the Nexus Approach
Global challenges, defined through the Sustainable Development Goals, are intrinsically linked
and cannot be viably addressed without the adoption of an holistic approach, which integrates
diverse sectoral strategies where intrinsic links exist. The nexus approach adopts a genuinely
holistic vision, to the extent that it seeks to couple sectoral strategies, in order to come up with an
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integrated multi - sectoral strategy, which deals with existing ef fectivity and efficiency gaps, as the
“world is far off course for achieving sustainable development ” (Sachs 2015). As underlined by
Sachs (2015), sustainable development has been on the global agenda for over forty years at least
and its presence dates back to the 1972 first UN Conference on the Human Environment in
Stockholm and the publication ‘Limits to Growth’.17
It can no longer be afforded to address global challenges separately, to the extent it comes at the
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risk of “reducing one problem while exacerbating others ”(Liu et al.,
2018). The nexus approach is inscribed in a novel perspective as it “(…) simultaneously examines
interactions among multiple sectors ”(Liu et al. 2018).
To measure the effectivity of a sectoral strategy, the extent to which the defined objectives are
attained is taken into consideration, since the efficiency of a sectoral strategy has to be conscious of
the resources mobilised through the process of pursuing the defined objectives. Undeniably,
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effectivity and efficiency gaps pertain today in the implementation of Sustainable Development
Goals. Multi -sectoral integrated policies, rooted in nexus approach, retain the potential to address
such effectivity and efficiency gaps, to the exten t they are to be designed whilst ensuring resource
optimisation (efficiency) and attainment of cross sectoral objectives (effectivity).
The need for “integrated governance approaches” is by now established (Van Zanten and Van
Tulder 2020). The “nexus approach” is one such approach “which induces policymakers to act on
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the interactions between individual SDGs, in order to reap co -benefits and reduce the risk of trade -
offs” (Van Zanten and Van Tulder 2020).
Moreover, “the human and environmental dimensio ns” are at the core of the nexus approach
(Bhaduri et al. 2015).
17 As explained by Sachs (2015), the Limits to Growth publication aims at identifying “the challenge of combining
economic development and environmental sustainability ”.
As argued by Cavelier Adarve, “(…) in the developing world, climate programs cannot be
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implemented or measured without specifically linking them to social and economic outcomes. “You
just can’t broadly talk about the disadvantages climate change brings the world —you must couple
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies them with issues that press on people’s lifestyles and pocketbooks .” (The MIT Technology Review
Insights 2021).
2.5 The Nexus Approach for Sustainable Development
The nexus approach for sustainable development fits into Elinor Ostrom’s recommendations for
overcoming the “panacea trap” (Ostrom, Chang, Pennington and Tarko 2012, 69), which is one of
the main challenges to sustainability.18
Amongst the major contributions of the author is the necessity to overcome the ‘panacea
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problem’. In other words, “there is no correct way to manage common -pool resources that will
always be effective. Different ways of managing resources will be appropriate in different contexts
– for example within different cultures or where there are different physical characteristics of a
natural resource .” (Ostrom, Chang, Pennington and Tarko 2012, 15)
Therefore, the nexus approach for sustainable development must be conscious of the diversity
pertaining to the contexts where they are implemented. The nexus approach for sustainable
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development must then be context -sensitive, to the extent it must reflect the specificities of the
“socio -ecological system (SES)” (Ostrom, Chang, Pennington and Tarko 2012, 68)19. For Ostrom,
it is acknowledged that:
“(…) the governance systems that actually have worked in practice fit the diversity of ecological
conditions that exist in a fishery, irrigation system or pasture, as well as the social systems. There is
a huge dive rsity out there, and the range of governance systems that work reflects that diversity .”
(Ostrom, Chang, Pennington and Tarko 2012, 70)
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Thus, it is high time to reflect upon a nexus approach for sustainable development in the Euro -
Mediterranean and African region, inasmuch as local specificities, challenges and opportunities must
be taken into consideration from the design phases throughout the implementation stages.
18 Ostrom, E., Chang, C., Pennington, M., &Tarko, V. (2012). The future of the commons -beyond market failure and
government regulation. Institute of Economic Affairs Monographs .
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19 For Ostrom, “ when we put people and ecologies together, we can think of the results as ‘socio -ecological system’
(SES)” (Ostrom, Chang, Pennington & Tarko 2012, p.68). In other words, the concept of a ‘socio -ecological system’
(or SES for short), “is simply a concise way of referring to the connection between a community and its natural
environment” (Ostrom, Chang, Pennington &Tarko 2012, 56).
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2.5.1 An Illu stration of a Strategic Nexus Priority in the Europe -Mediterranean - Africa Region:
The Water, Energy and Food Nexus
Water is a strategic issue in the region. According to the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas by the World
Resources Institute (WRI), one in four pe ople currently lives in a country under severe water stress
(WRI 2019). As stated by Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the WRI, “Water stress is the
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biggest crisis no one is talking about. Its consequences are in plain sight in the form of food
insecu rity, conflict and migration, and financial instability.”
A total of 17 countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Botswana, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea,
India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, San Marino and
Turkmenista n, use 80% of their available underground water resources in an average year.
Agriculture, industry and human needs, especially in cities, are the main uses of this water (WRI
2019).
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2019).
Water stress starts below 1,700 m3/year/person of water available for hum an, agricultural, industrial
and environmental activities (The World Business Council for Sustainable Development 2009).
Some countries are well below this threshold. In the regions of North Africa and West Asia, virtually
all countries are already experie ncing large -scale water shortages.
The Mediterranean area is subject to intense water stress, affecting both surface and groundwater as
it concentrates nearly 60% of the so -called “water -poor” population (Blue Plan 2008). Today,
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180 million Mediterranean p eople have less than 1000 m3 of water per year, of which 80 million
are in short supply, i.e., have access to less than 500 m3/capita/year to this resource.
Also, the water resources of the Mediterranean region are unevenly distributed (Ferragina 2010),
since the southern shore holds only 13% of the fresh water available in the Mediterranean.
By 2025, more than 250 million people are at risk of water shortages, almost half of the estimated
524 million Mediterranean population in 2025 (Fraisse 2018).
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Water “is not merely a local or national commodity” since it “crosses political boundaries and is
thus a concern of transnational governance” (I. Boas et al. 2016). Along the same line, according to
the World Bank, by 2050, water related challenges are projected to lower the MENA region’s GDP
by 6% to 14%, if a status quo strategy is pursued.
The “relationships among food, energy, and water are dynamic” (Niet, Arianpoo, Kuling, and Wright
2021)20. A sectoral approach to one of the aforementioned dimensions of the nexus, not taking into
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consideration repercussions on the other sectors, would be counterproductive. Coordination is not
only a necessity, but an urgency, given the numerous “ cross -sectoral interactions among key
climate - sensitive sectors such as water, energy, and food.” (Niet, Arianpoo, Kuling, and Wright
2021)
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In addition, it can be inferred from Figure 2 that applying a nexus -based approach to ecosystem
services, such as water, energy and food, implies acting in conformity with core principles of the
sustainable development paradigm, including economic efficiency, social equity and environmental
sustainability.
20As underlined by (Niet, Arianpoo, Kuling, and Wright 2021, “ Actions in one area usually have impacts in one or
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both of the both of the others, with profound economic, environmental , and social implications. Indeed, the security
of one sector often cannot be achieved without undermining another sector (Lele et al., 2013; Newell, Phillips, &
Purohit, 2011; Ringler, Bhaduri, & Lawford, 2013).”
21European Climate Foundation & Positive A genda Advisory (2021). Africa Green Resilient Recovery Report for North
Africa
The example of solar pumps in Morocco21
Within the framework of the New Green Generation Strategy" (2020 -2030) implemented by
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Morocco, solar pumping is a successful application of the Food, Water and Energy Nexus.
Not only does the solar pumping model raise agricultural income for most small -scale
farmers, but it also allows for efficient and sustainable access to water for domestic and irrigation
purposes, whilst avoiding the use of fossil fuels and reducing equipment costs.
This ambitious Moroccan strategy would allow the Kingdom to save up to 500 MW through the
installation of solar pumps, whilst improving the food security of local communities and ensuring
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sustainable access to water.
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies .
Figure 2: Outline for a nexus – based adaptation framework (Niet, Arianpoo, Kuling, and Wright 2021)
As explained in Figure 2, the nexus approach applied to ecosystem services are to design “nexus -
smart adaptation policies”, such as water -land smart food systems, in order to be in line with a
“system -wise adaptation approach”.
As such, applying the nexus approach to achieving sustainable development, with regards to key
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ecosystem services, this would lead to targeting societal vulnerabilities through a holistic framework,
which envisions the role to be played by institutions as a priority in guiding the behaviours of actors.
Applying the nexus approach to SDG implementation is crucial, to the extent “SDG goals are
interconnected and linked with the sectors of a particular nexus” (Liu et al. 2018). The existing
interactions between sectors, such as food, energy and water, cannot be overstated; although they
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have an impact on all SDGs, “each is often treated in isolation” (Liu et al. 2018).
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies 2.5.2 The Integration of the Multi -sectoral Interactions
The nexus approach needs to take into consideration the strong interactions between the different
sectors (Figure 3).
Figure 3: The Urgency of a Nexus Approach to Integrate the Multi -sectoral Interactions
Figure 3 emphasises the urgency of a nexus approach to integrate the various multi -sectoral
existing interactions. It can no longer be afforded to design non -integrated sectoral strategies. For
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instance, a sectoral strategy to target tourism must also take into consideration environmental
repercussions, by integrating critical components such as water. A sectoral strategy targeting
tourism would be counterproductive if it were to contribute to aggravating water scarcity, for
instance.
Thus, the nexus approach is conscious of the necessity t o link sectoral strategies, to take into
account the multi -sectoral interactions. Such an approach would undeniably lead to integration of
the environmental dimension into the multi -sectoral strategies.
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The nexus approach retains the potential to efficiently accompany policy making, at the Euro -
Mediterranean and African regional level. On the one hand, such approaches would lead to taking
into account specific challenges and particular opportunities of the region.
On the other hand, a nexus approach can lead to identifying “nexus co -benefits, trade -offs, and
synergies in order to optimise resource use and production and to achieve water security, food
security, human health, and energy security” (Liu et al. 2018).
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Therefore, the urgency of in-depth reflection on pathways, to turn common challenges in the
Euro - Mediterranean and African region into opportunities, is established.
Water
Water, energy
and food
security
Water -
employment -
migration
Water -climate
change -sanitation
hygiene
Blue
Economy
Tourism and
Water
Seas and
Oceans
Blue Economy
and Job
Creation
Urban
Policies
Infrastructure
, Health, and
Energy
Urban
Policies and
Governance
Renewable
Energies and
Energy Efficiency
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Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies
3.3 Turning Common Challenges into Reinvented Opportunities for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development as a processual approach to well -being optimisation, diversity, wildlife and
natural resource preservation, pursues the need to achieve some sort of equilibrium. In other words,
sustainable development strategies aim to “balance the trade -off between profita bility and
sustainability.” (Von der Osten, Kirley and Miller 2017, 4). In the framework of the “nexus between
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profitability and sustainability”, individuals must “make a harvesting decision in a dynamic common
pool resource game.” (Von der Osten, Kirley a nd Miller 2017, 2)
Governance systems play a critical role in regulating those decision -making processes that are made
at multiple levels by citizens and by institutions. Thus, the design of such governance systems, being
deployed at regional and local lev els, is crucial and must be conscious of regional and/or local realities
in order to put in place the most viable framework for the “nexus between profitability and
sustainability”.
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sustainability”.
Sustainable development, as a societal approach, is rooted in the necessit y to accompany decision -
making processes pertaining to resource management with a strategic outlook on the needs of future
generations. Undeniably, sustainable development is genuinely driven by thinking of the generations
to come and about the models whi ch are to insure the protection of the common pool resources (CPR).
As exemplified by Figure 4, a polycentric approach is one that combines or integrates more than one
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policy; for instance: public policy, technological innovation and business policy.
Figure 4: Towards Polycentric Approaches for Improving Sustainable Development. Authors’ own conception based on
(Ostrom 2010; Van Zanten and Van Tulder 2020).
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3 CONCLUSION
A Nexus Approach to Sustainable Development in the Euro -Mediterranean -
African region as an accelerator for regional integration
3.1 Regional Integration: A Foremost Priority
The Euro -Mediterranean region is one of the least integrated regions in the World. According
to a study conducted within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), 90% of global
Euro -Mediterranean trade is conducted within the EU, 9% between the EU and the Southern
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Mediterranean Countries and only 1% only between the Southern Mediterranean Countries.
“(…) regional economic integration between Southern Mediterranean countries is still limited:
intra-regional trade is a small fraction (5.9% in exports, 5.1% in imports) of the countries’ total
trade, one of the lowest levels of regional economic integration in the World.”22
Many decades of institutional agreements between the EU and the Mediterranean countries have
not led to a convergent development scenario, but rather to a growing development divide or gap
(Appendix E).
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(Appendix E).
Engaging in new dynamics for the implementation of a global, integrated and balanced sustainable
development agenda in the region would, therefore, lead to 4 main strategic objectives:
1) Dealing with scientifically established, alarming emergencies.
2) Giving a new impetus to inclusive growth, investment and job creation.
3) Facilitating and accelerating regional integration.
4) Designing a new and modern “geography sensitive” and multi -scalar approach
(including Africa), leading to “a multi -sectoral nexus strategy”.
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Transnational partnerships can contribute to addressi ng the existing nexus between the Sustainable
Development Goals (I. Boas et al. 2016). Partnerships at a cross -boundary level are essential for
“sharing knowledge and practices, and creating new knowledge” to the extent that nexus
management is “a new emerging field of expertise” (I. Boas et al. 2016).
22The European Commission. The Euro -Mediterranean Partnership. https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries -
and- regions/regions/euro -mediterranean -partnership/.
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In the same vein, it has been argued throughout this paper that today, more than ever, an holistic,
multi -scalar nexus approach is needed to rethink development in the Euro -Mediterranean
and African region.
It has become essential to adopt the nexus approa ch for sustainable development in order to
take into consideration the multiple sectors with regards to geographic specificities.
The Euro -Mediterranean and African dimension showcases multiple opportunities to that effect.
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Implementing public policies that rely on innovative tools is, ultimately, the hidden opportunity
behind the COVID -19 crisis.
The challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals would, thus, be made more
accessible through pragmatic and holistic action.
Green Resilient Recovery through the nexus approach is, in this sense, a path to be further explored
by decision makers at national and regional levels.
3.2 Morocco as a key player for a nexus approach to Sustainable Development in the region
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pdfs/achieving-sustainable-development-goals-the-relevance-of-a-nexus-approach-in-the-euromediterranean-and-african-region_0.pdf
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Key actors in the Euro -Mediterranean and African Region can be identified as essential partners
for the design, as well as the implementation, of the nexus approach for sustainable development.
Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is amongst Africa’s
champions as far as “ efforts to combat climate change, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the
Paris Agreement on climate action ” (UNEP).
“The Kingdom of Morocco, faithful to its climate commitments, has implemented an integrated
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