Prince Hassan launches Water-Energy-Food Nexus Conference

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, chairman of the Higher Council for Science and Technology, on Tuesday attended the launch of the 3rd edition of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Conference.

The two-day event was co-organised by the University of Jordan and the German Agency for International Cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In his opening remarks, Prince Hassan stressed the importance of involving stakeholders and local communities in developing strategies to address the challenges related to water, energy, food and environmental systems.

The prince also emphasised the need to foster a sense of citizenship and belonging through collective action.

Citing World Bank data, Prince Hassan highlighted that 40 per cent of the world's population faces water scarcity, with projections that by 2040, one in four children will live in regions facing "acute" water scarcity.

Reports from the Food and Agriculture Organisation draw attention to the need to increase food production by 70 per cent by 2050 to meet the needs of a projected global population of 9.7 billion while reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture, he added.

The prince also advocated the creation of a regional water and energy community that connects the Mashreq countries, drawing parallels with the European Coal and Steel Community model.

He also called for prioritising human settlement and dignity, alongside maximising societal investment to promote stability and economic modernisation and ensuring an equitable distribution of benefits across regions.

His Highness also referred to the repercussions of the war against Gaza, including the impact on the Gazans, as well as critical sectors such as agriculture, water, energy and food security.

Acting German Ambassador to Jordan Florian Rendel stressed the need for a clear methodology to address Jordan's water resource challenges in the face of increasing demand.