Image: Jan Rieger

During the Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 (17–19 May), participants engaged actively in Q&A sessions, parallel sessions, and the World Café, among other things. Beyond the physical sessions, discussions also took place in the virtual realm.

Two side events at DNC2017 were livestreamed on Facebook Live to over 150 remote viewers. Visit our Facebook page for the videos featuring the launch event of the Nexus Observatory collaboration and the launch of the book Multifunctional Land-Use Systems for Managing the Nexus of Environmental Resources (Springer). On Twitter, participants shared insights on the conference content using the hashtags #DNC2017 and #NexusApproach. Over the whole period, more than 400 tweets were published with these hashtags related to the conference.

Here are some highlights:

At the heart of DNC2017 was the question, how the Nexus Approach can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how monitoring measures are involved. In particular, the aspects of implementation and monitoring focused on examples related to multifunctional land-use systems and resource management in resilient cities and urban areas, as well as cross-thematic content.

One of the reasons why we need an #integrated approach #NexusApproach … by Nicola Fohrer @kieluni #DNC2017 #multiGoalOptimisation #land pic.twitter.com/xr2cU6vcaU

— Bettina Schmalzbauer (@bschmalzb) May 17, 2017

Lamizana-Diallo: international agencies have strength in working together & bringing specific local voices to using #NexusApproach #DNC2017

— Mitch Zuckerman (@ec0p0lis) May 19, 2017

Sabine Fuß brings the negative CO2 emission and the Climate perspective to the Nexus Conference #DNC2017 #SDG13 #2030Agenda @dkn_futureearth pic.twitter.com/I9XJcmTThg

— Martin Visbeck (@mvisbeck) May 18, 2017

Very important remark: "SDGs as common tool to bridge disciplinary boundaries." C. Kroll @ #DNC2017 #SDGs #NexusApproach

— DDoerr (@d_doerr) May 18, 2017

Enough or too many #indicators for measuring the #SDGs? The right ones?! asks @stefan_uhlenb #dnc2017 #SDG6 pic.twitter.com/E2nWpcmRjm

— Marianne Darbi (@MarianneDarbi) May 19, 2017

Third day at the DNC2017: Coming into conversation about monitoring and implementation in a World Café #DNC2017 #NexusApproach #dresden pic.twitter.com/ppDGRIYyjb

— Sebastian Eichhorn (@EichhornSe) May 19, 2017

Especially during parallel sessions, the live tweets helped other participants keep tabs on the other sessions that they were not able to physically attend.

A pity you can't be in two sessions at a time! #dnc2017 Kepp tweeting https://t.co/qRaDGV14K1

— Marianne Darbi (@MarianneDarbi) May 18, 2017

It was great to see participants take their conversations online:

Sharing ideas at the world café #dnc2017: we have to restore the circularity of thinking! pic.twitter.com/YIElS4v3dE

— Mauro Lafratta (@MLafratta) May 19, 2017

Not sure what table this was but we had similar thoughts at the implementation in resilient cities table! https://t.co/OWV8nGb8BI

— Mitch Zuckerman (@ec0p0lis) May 19, 2017

Exhibitors, too, took the opportunity to be part of the social media buzz.

Happy to be @ #DNC2017! Looking forward to meet you! #SDGs #FutureEarth #Research #Sustainability #NexusApproach #landuse #urban pic.twitter.com/eLInYZRbbC

— DKN Future Earth (@dkn_futureearth) May 17, 2017

Ultimately, it was heartening to see the spirit of DNC2017 that is going down to the human dimension – incorporating socioeconomic perspectives and connecting stakeholders – also embodied on the conference Twitter feed.

Conference wrap-up #NexusApproach #DNC17 great to meet you buddy @BasselTDaher @NEXUSPlatform @UNU_FLORES pic.twitter.com/JPias2zBVj

— Sebastian Riera (@sebariera) May 19, 2017

We would like to thank all participants who have actively participated in the conversations virtually!

3 days of #DNC2017 flew by too quickly! Hope you had a great time as we did hosting you! Long live #NexusApproach! https://t.co/rtTCAXjhnR pic.twitter.com/kga3NK5CMY

— UNU-FLORES (@UNU_FLORES) May 19, 2017

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Dresden Nexus Conference 2017: It Comes Down to the People

Over 400 participants and a hundred more tuning in remotely from over 50 countries discussed how the sustainable use of environmental resources can be more successful by using linked approaches at the Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC2017). From 17 to 19 May, the United Nations University (UNU-FLORES), the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) organised the second edition of the conference in the Deutsche Hygiene-Museum Dresden. For the former Hungarian Ambassador to the United Nations, Csaba Kőrösi, the meeting is the best forum on the subject in Europe.

Dresden, 19 May 2017. – Intense conversations, an inspiring atmosphere, interactive discussion formats, insights into numerous practical examples, and the exchange of experiences with many like-minded people – after three days, the second biennial Dresden Nexus Conference comes to an end, leaving many impressions for the over 400 participants. The international experts from more than 50 countries enjoyed an intensive programme across three days: six keynote speeches by renowned scholars, 88 lectures spread over 16 sessions, 65 poster presentations, and case studies from China, Germany, Qatar, Kenya, Tunisia, and Viet Nam provided insights into the science and practice surrounding the Nexus Approach. The aim is to sustainably manage vital environmental resources such as water, soil, and waste by overcoming the boundaries between sectors and scientific disciplines. The resources themselves are also interrelated and cannot be addressed separately.

At the core of DNC2017 was the question, how the Nexus Approach can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda of the United Nations, and how monitoring measures are involved. The contributions for science and policy focused on examples related to multifunctional land-use systems and resource management in resilient cities and urban areas, as well as cross-thematic content.

“The Dresden Nexus Conference is the best forum in Europe, to discuss important questions concerning the sustainable management of environmental resources,” said His Excellency Csaba Kőrösi, former Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations in New York, and co-chaired the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, who now heads the Directorate for Environmental Sustainability in Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary, in his closing speech. In addition to the many positive impulses the participants took home with them, the challenges identified during the conference were clearly linked to the topic. The integrated management of environmental resources is still, above all, a topic discussed in science. However, for the broad implementation of linked strategies in practice, it really comes down to the people, as mentioned in one of the final speeches. Above all, the findings from science, the good initiatives and ideas must be communicated to the right actors – political decision makers as well as local stakeholders and representatives of the business community. In science itself, the discussion around the approach should be more interdisciplinary and, for example, the social sciences should also be more closely involved.

It is not just a matter of linking different professional topics. At least as important is the cooperation of different stakeholder groups. From the beginning, they must be involved in the deliberations and planned implementation projects – appropriate integrated formats and governance structures are also required.

“The Nexus Approach must now leave the scientific laboratories and be put into practice,” also urged Ambassador Kőrösi in conclusion. The organisers of the conference, UNU-FLORES, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the TU Dresden and the IOER are aware: till the next DNC in 2019, many challenges remain that scientists can tackle together with practical stakeholders.

What is the “Nexus Approach”?

The goal of the Nexus Approach is to manage environmental resources sustainably. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to overcome barriers between individual sectors and scientific disciplines to jointly develop cross-sectoral strategies. The approach is based on the understanding that individual environmental resources are closely linked. If these relationships are taken into account, this can lead to more resource efficiency, while at the same time environmental risks and ecological degradation may be minimised.

Further information:
http://www.dresden-nexus-conference.org
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

Contact

Download the full version of the press release here (EN/DE).

At the core of the Nexus Approach is the captivation with interrelatedness and interdependencies. When we talk about the approach to environmental resources management, we think of the nexus between resources. Another dimension of the nexus under consideration is that between different actors; for example, between scientists and policymakers.

This year’s Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) strives to put the nexus into action by bringing people from different disciplines and sectors together to discuss related issues that are not necessarily dealt with in an integrated manner at present.

Image: Raphael Benning/TU Dresden

During the first plenary on the second day of the biennial conference, Rabi Mohtar (Texas A&M University) moderated a Q&A session after the delivery of keynote speeches by Eugénie Birch (Penn Institute for Urban Research) and Luca Montanarella (European Commission). In her keynote speech, Eugénie Birch addressed the need and hunt for the nexus in order to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

“We have found the nexus in the world – it will be up to us, the researchers and the practitioners, to incorporate the Nexus Approach. We know this thinking is innovative and this conference will facilitate it.”
– Eugénie Birch, Penn Institute for Urban Research

Addressing the second sub-theme of the conference on Multifunctional Land-Use Systems, Luca Montanarella also emphasised the need for sustainable soil management for achieving the SDGs, which requires that soil scientists look out from the pits they dig and realise the connections between what is beneath the ground and what is beyond.

Image: Raphael Benning/TU Dresden

Image: Raphael Benning/TU Dresden

While the nexus connects people from different disciplines and sectors, learning and knowledge exchange can only really happen through concrete examples. At eight parallel sessions covering Multifunctional Land-Use Systems, Resource Management in Resilient Cities, as well as Cross-thematic Topics, conference participants freely moved between sessions to expose themselves to various examples that lead back to the overarching theme of “SDGs & Nexus Approach: Monitoring and Implementation”.

From examples in forestry to urbanisation to assessing resource use in resilient cities, participants are expected to immerse themselves and widen their horizons when thinking of applying the Nexus Approach through the wide range and variety of oral presentations. The subsequent poster sessions reinforced this objective. One running concern is the need for a common language and tools that can be used by different research communities.

Image: Raphael Benning/TU Dresden

In the second plenary, Case Studies from China, Vietnam, and Kenya were presented. Yanhui Wang (Chinese Academy of Forestry), Ngo Trung Hai (Vietnam Institute for Urban and Rural Planning (VIUP)), and John M. Gathenya (Jomo Kenyatta University) each presented respective cases exemplifying the Nexus Approach in multifunctional land-use systems. This was followed by a Q&A Session with expert commenters Rattan Lal (Ohio State University) on monitoring and Ania Grobicki (Ramsar Convention) on implementation as moderated by Nicola Fohrer (Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel).

Image: Ricardo Vigh/IOER 2017

While the concrete examples were still quite specific and relevant only for a certain community, the connection to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through aspects of monitoring and implementation meant that the content is broad and comprehensive enough to engage as many participants. In her commentary, Ania Grobicki praised the high standards and good quality of presentations she had seen at the conference so far, and the passion and commitment in the organisation of the event. While the case studies exemplify nexus solutions, she raised the need to better convey that these solutions exist, in a more impactful manner in order to take such a conference further. To be able to really embody how case studies can be transformed into policies and solutions, she suggested that in future conferences, for every case study, a scientist be paired with a policymaker or an actor who can actually use the research. This creates dialogue and concretely structures the science-policy interface.

Download Day 2: Sessions in a Nutshell here

Image: Ricardo Vigh/IOER 2017

In line with the goal of engaging participants more and to allow them to personally experience the challenges of nexus implementation, Day 2 of DNC2017 featured a gaming session, which concluded the day’s full programme. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) convened the Water-Energy Nexus Game, in which participants got the unique opportunity to get insight into managing the water needs of energy production and improve water management to reduce water systems vulnerability. Participants were given various roles in decision making in two countries that share a river. Their goal was to balance water and energy supply with demand. For this to happen though, they needed to effectively collaborate and exchange information between stakeholders within their respective country.

Whether through a simulation game or otherwise, the second day of the Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 reinforced the need for the Nexus Approach in order to arrive at sustainable solutions for our environment, and more importantly, that we do so in a fashion that embodies the very concept.

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The Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 (DNC2017) opened on a high note at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in Germany today. UNU-FLORES, the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), and the Leibniz Institute for Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) welcomed 425 participants from 50 countries over three days (17–19 May). The biennial conference is in its second installation this year.

Under the theme “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Nexus Approach: Monitoring and Implementation”, Day 1 gave participants a broad overview of the issues related to monitoring and implementation strategies, particularly considering Multifunctional Land-Use Systems and Resources Management in Resilient Cities.

This year, participants can look forward to, among others, six keynote speeches, 88 oral presentations, 65 poster presentations, and six case studies portraying the use of the Nexus Approach as outlined in the introduction during the first plenary from UNU-FLORES Director Reza Ardakanian.

Following his welcome address, Karl-Heinz Feger (TU Dresden) introduced Uwe Gaul, State Secretary of the Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research and the Arts (SMWK), who opened the conference by discussing the intentions and principles of DNC2017.

Image: Jan Rieger

“We all stand to benefit when our actions stand to benefit the prosperity and peace of the people.”
– Uwe Gaul, State Secretary, SMWK

Bernhard Müller, Director of IOER, went on to introduce Detlef Klein, Senior-Advisor of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Unit at GIZ, who delivered opening remarks on behalf of Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk, BMZ’s Deputy Director General for Environment and Infrastructure.

Image: Jan Rieger

Image: Jan Rieger

Image: Jan Rieger

Image: Jan Rieger

Image: Jan Rieger

“We must find ways out of our silos and work with different types of language.”
– Mathew Kurian, UNU-FLORES

After the parallel sessions, poster presentations took place. At 16:00 participants had the opportunity to attend a side event launching the collaboration between UNU-FLORES and GIZ on developing a prototype of the Nexus Observatory and exploring further synergies that could emerge from greater integration of it with GIZ’s Nexus Resource Platform. The event was also livestreamed to remote participants via Facebook.

Download Day 1: Sessions in a Nutshell here

Image: Jan Rieger

Image: Jan Rieger

The first day of DNC2017 culminated with a welcome reception in the Ballroom of the Dresden City Hall, where participants were warmly welcomed to the city by Deputy Mayor Detlef Sittel.

With the floor set, Day 2 of DNC2017 is set to be another rich and fulfilling series of discussions.

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The following is a summary of the concluding talk given by Rabi Mohtar on Day 1 of the Dresden Nexus Conference 2015. For a full-length video of this talk, visit the Dresden Nexus Conference Playlist or watch the video below.

Global changes, specifically regarding the effects of climate on water resources, are simply put into context through the phrase “wet regions will get wetter, while dry will get dryer”. There is a significant interaction between soil moisture and surface water, which is associated with securities for both water and food. Other global changes are the loss of arable land to either degradation or land-use changes and salinity effects. Factors such as the rise of sea level, the use of fertilizer, the reuse of water and the poor management of land also contribute to global changes that will have a severe effect on projected climate changes and the consequent impact on agriculture.

Climate change projections are significant. It is predicted that there will be more intense, frequent and longer heat waves; a decrease in subtropical precipitation; an increase in precipitation intensity with longer periods between rain events; a drying of mid-continent in summer leading to greater risk of droughts; an increase in hurricane peak wind intensities and the number of most intense hurricanes; an increase in wind intensities and in the number of most intense storms. These projections will have substantial manifestations in agriculture, leading to greater crop water needs, greater city water needs, less fresh surface water in some locations, more water with infrequent events (floods/droughts), more pests and diseases, less crop cover (erosion risk), northward crop migrations, diminished water quality and more expensive energy. These projections and manifestations are just a few examples of what can occur due to climate change.

A systems theory is useful when applying the nexus approach to issues of climate change because the nexus approach provides both tools and visualization to aid policy planning. There is a rebound effect in which efficiency improvements sometimes do not achieve the stated aim of those improvements. Many examples from the Water-Soil-Waste Nexus, specifically for the improvement of water use and efficiency of irrigation, demonstrate the need to keep the systems goal in mind. Additional important elements in enabling lasting change are nexus governance strategies, gaps in data and tools, along with the importance of communication and engagement of stakeholders. Policy, role of pricing and scaling issues are also important factors when utilizing the nexus approach. The private sector is a major stakeholder that needs to be engaged in implementation of nexus-oriented strategies; its role is often missed or overlooked.

A new method that can make tremendous change is the localization of water and food security through the better understanding of green water. ‘New’ water is another innovative resource for this method. With these new methods come research gaps, which need to be considered in order for the localization of resources to occur. Many gaps have been identified when using the systems theory in the nexus approach, however three stand out. One gap illustrates lack of recognition and characterization of soil as an organized physical medium, which provides the physical conditions for life and development of the numerous biotic and abiotic processes inside the soil medium. A second gap states that a quantification of the soil natural organization/structure is needed in order to have measurable (physical) parameters that provide a description of the interactions within the soil-water system. And the third is to adapt the natural multi-scale organization for processes scaling. A portfolio of nexus solutions result in the basis of nexus scenarios, which need to be assessed so that tradeoffs can be established. Such tradeoff analysis can be the basis of multi-stakeholder dialogues.

Upon conclusion of Day 1 of the Dresden Nexus Conference 2015, there still exists a drastic need for alterations to be made in relation to the use of the nexus approach for addressing the global issue of climate change. Since there is a tremendous impact on water, energy and food security by the changing climate, further adaptation measures must be bold and new models are needed to deliver better results and projections. The nexus approach, which is based on holistic systems theory, is needed to help identify hotspots in the nexus, since one sector does not dominate sustainability. Also, economic growth needs to be decoupled from resource consumption. Localizing water and food security through regional integrations can create more resilience to climate adaptation along with the use of ‘new’ water to bridge the water gap. Accounting for soil and water processes, modelling and mapping, and data and uncertainty is critical to water and food security. The energy sector is critical for the nexus approach, especially renewables for water, food and energy access. Lastly, the nexus and SDGs need to be brought to the human level in order to make lasting changes, and the role of diplomacy in nexus implementation must not be ignored.

From 25 to 27 March 2015, UNU-FLORES organized the inaugural Dresden Nexus Conference 2015 (DNC2015) on “Global Change, SDGs and the Nexus Approach” together with the Technische Universitдt Dresden (TU Dresden) and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER).

The main focus of the conference was how the integrated management of environmental resources guided by a nexus approach may help to achieve the potential targets of the post-2015 agenda. However, the role and impact of DNC goes much beyond that of a typical academic conference. DNC is a cross-sectoral platform for nexus-oriented initiatives, and thus a key pillar for advancing the nexus approach to the integrated management of resources. Bringing together scientists, implementers, decision-makers and donors, DNC has and will continue to connect UNU Institutes, UN entities, first-class research institutions, governmental institutions, and nongovernmental organizations working in this field. In this vein, the conference organizers have launched the Dresden Nexus Conference Playlist this week to continue to connect nexus-oriented intiatives to one another.

Knowledge sharing and knowledge dissemination are a fundamental part of UNU-FLORES’s mission and of the role of DNC2015 as a platform for nexus-oriented research. Acting on the belief that sharing knowledge is the surest way to increase it, UNU-FLORES, together with TU Dresden and IOER, have chosen to make all the content of the DNC2015 plenary sessions available to the general public. Over the next few months, individual videos of all programme items of the plenary sessions will be published on the Dresden Nexus Conference Playlist.

Each day of the conference dealt with one aspect of global change: climate, urbanization and population growth. The daily general structure of plenary sessions was similar across the three days: starting in the morning with a plenary including two keynote presentations related to the thematic topic of each day. After the lunch break, participants reassembled in a plenary for a panel discussion that reported and analysed the outcomes of the parallel sessions. Each plenary session was brought to an end with a concluding talk. The aim of the concluding talk of the day was to synthesize the major aspects emerging from the daily keynotes and related discussions, the outcome of the sessions and the panel discussion. The main deviations from this structure were the opening remarks on Day 1, and the Conference Wrap-Up and closing on Day 3. All of these programme items will be available in full length on the Dresden Nexus Conference Playlist.

The following three videos are already available on the Dresden Nexus Conference Playlist:

• Opening Remarks
• Panel Discussion on Climate Change and the Nexus Approach
• Prof. Rabi Mohtar’s Day 1 Climate Change: Concluding Talk

The Dresden Nexus Conference Playlist can be viewed directly below, or by going to the UNU-FLORES YouTube Channel.

Over 350 participants from 65 countries came together to discuss nexus-oriented strategies for sustainable development at the inaugural Dresden Nexus Conference organized by UNU-FLORES, TU Dresden and IOER

Dr. David M. Malone (Rector of UN University & UN Under-Secretary-General)

27 March 2015, Dresden. – With their closing remarks, Verena Klinger-Dering from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conversation, Building and Nuclear Safety together with the organizers brought the first Dresden Nexus Conference to an end Friday evening. Over the course of three days 350 participants from 65 countries and all continents discussed how to manage vital environmental resources such as water, soil and waste more sustainably. At the centre of the lectures, panel discussions and poster presentations was the nexus approach. A nexus approach to the sustainable management of environmental resources integrates environmental management and governance across sectors and scales. This approach is based on the understanding that environmental resources are intricately interconnected. Considering their mutual dependencies in environmental management increases resource use efficiency while minimizing at the same time environmental risks and ecological degradation.

The Dresden Nexus Conference 2015 (DNC2015) took place under the umbrella of “Global Change, SDGs and the Nexus Approach”.

The Dresden Nexus Conference 2015 (DNC2015) took place under the umbrella of “Global Change, SDGs and the Nexus Approach”. Global Change, in all its forms, is possibly the most pressing challenge humanity faces in the twenty-first century. To address this challenge, the international community has devoted much time and effort into developing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – to be adopted at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris 2015. Concrete strategies for achieving these goals are still in development. Focusing on three key dimensions of global change – climate change, urbanization and population growth – conference attendees discussed how adopting a nexus approach can help develop effective and appropriate strategies for implementing these goals. Both the presenters in the parallel sessions and the keynote speakers were in consensus on one point: applying a nexus approach is the key to identifying effective and appropriate mechanisms for achieving the SDGs.

The scientific case studies and rigorous debates presented at the conference clearly showed that any action taken to address global change and implement the SDGs produce both positive and negative feedback that require tradeoffs. Developing appropriate and effective strategies means, identifying the mechanisms and tools that results in the least negative feedback. Applying a nexus approach provides a better understanding of these synergies and tradeoffs and enables the detection of the most optimal strategies.

Elena Manaenkova, WMO, Assistant Secretary-General

A further conclusion of the conference is the central role of the Water-Soil-Waste Nexus in achieving sustainable development and global security, particularly with regard to the pressing challenges posed by the ever-growing global population. “The train that is going to bring us a total global population of 9.6 billion people by 2050 has already left the station. We cannot stop it. Our task is to be prepared to receive these guests,” Professor Rattan Lal, Chair of UNU-FLORES Advisory Committee and Professor at Ohio State University, emphasized in the conference wrap-up talk. Soil, in particular, plays a critical role in ensuring the means of existence for all global citizens. Maintaining the integrity of soil, but also exploring soil-less or less soil-intensive means of agriculture will be crucial.

Finally, organizers, stakeholders and participants alike agreed that it is time to translate collective knowledge and collective goodwill into action. And the first and most significant step in implementing these findings is to develop educational curriculum that applies and promotes integrated thinking. Educational programmes need to be executed in an integrated, cross- and transdisciplinary manner, and at the same time teach critical integrated thinking.

As UNU-FLORES Director Reza Ardakanian summarizes, “the successful implementation of the integrated management of environmental resources requires a nexus mind-set. If the people on the ground are resistant, nexus approach strategies will not work. Educational, study and knowledge sharing programmes are the first step to addressing this gap.” Professor Bernhard Müller, Director of IOER, drew attention to open-ended questions with regard to the implementation of the nexus approach, „ the theoretical foundation needs further research and it needs to be asked, how integrated thinking can successfully respond to resistance. Addressing this is an important task for the team at UNU-FLORES, and IOER will continue to support them these endeavours.”

High-level representatives from seven United Nations (UN) Member States, nine UN entities, six international organizations, numerous universities and research institutions, and various foundations and technical assistance agencies were joined by members of the German government from federal, state and municipal levels for a three-day conference at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden, making DNC2015 one of the largest and most influential international conferences on sustainability in Germany in the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December in Paris.

The Dresden Nexus Conference 2015 was organized by the UN University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources of the (UNU-FLORES), the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER). All three are connected through their commitment to research on sustainable development. The Dresden Nexus Conference is planned to be held every two years. It is envisioned as a platform that brings together experts from national and international academia, politics and civil society, to discuss and promote academic and practical initiatives advancing a nexus approach to the sustainable management of environmental resources. By bringing these stakeholders together, the organizers hope to identify and further develop policy-relevant solutions. This conference series as well as the research initiatives of all three organizers taking place around the conference, strengthen Dresden’s role as a hub for research on sustainable development.

For further information: dresden-nexus-conference.org

The press release is available in English (PDF) and German(PDF).

For more details on the conference or photo material, please contact:

Rachel Shindelar
Communications and Advocacy Associate
Tel:+ 49 351 8921 9377
E-mail: shindelar@unu.edu