FAO Launches WatNEX Engine to Strengthen Nexus-Based Decision-Making

FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE), in collaboration FAO office for Asia-Pacific (FAO-RAP) and with the FutureWater, officially launched the "Water Accounting Engine for Supporting WEFE Nexus Decision-Making" (WatNEX), on 3rd of November, 2025.

Held under the framework of the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS), the event introduced WatNEX as a next-generation analytical tool that integrates water accounting, environmental flow assessments, and energy-efficiency modules to support evidence-based, cross-sectoral planning for sustainable Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystem (WEFE) management.

Innovation to Address Complex Resource Challenges

In his opening remarks, Dr. AbdulHakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, underscored that tackling water scarcity requires a transformative approach that integrates science, technology, and policy. He emphasized that with water scarcity affecting over 2.4 billion people globally—and climate change projected to reduce renewable water resources by up to 20% in arid regions by 2050—there is an urgent need to adopt nexus-based frameworks that optimize resource allocation while protecting ecosystems.

He also highlighted the WatNEX Engine as a key step forward in operationalizing the WEFE Nexus through data-driven governance, supporting decision-makers to move beyond sectoral silos and develop coherent, forward-looking investment strategies.

A Regional Effort Towards Integrated Water Solutions

Dr. Mohamed Al-Hamdi, Senior Land and Water Officer at FAO-RNE, noted that the iRTP-WS has evolved into a collaborative mechanism -building on FAO-RNE long experience obtained through the Water Scarcity Initiative- to address the intensifying challenges of water scarcity through integrated approaches that are technically sound, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable.

He explained that the WatNEX Engine embodies this integrated vision by translating complex water accounting outputs into policy-relevant knowledge, allowing planners to analyze trade-offs, synergies, and efficiency gains across water, energy, food, and ecosystems.

Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Development

Presenting the iRTP-WS framework and the WatNEX Workshop Programme, Dr. Heba Al Hariry, Land and Water Officer at FAO-RNE, emphasized that WatNEX is part of a broader effort to institutionalize WEFE thinking through knowledge exchange, capacity development, and regional collaboration.

She explained that the WEFE Nexus Thinking Solution Package supports countries in aligning policies and investments, while the WatNEX engine provides a technical backbone for applying these principles in practice. The upcoming inter-regional training series, held back to the back to the launch, will engage experts from Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Central Europe, and the Near East to enhance regional capacity in nexus-based decision-making.

From the technical side, Mr. Johannes Hunink, Mr. Gijs Simons, Ms. Tania Imran from FutureWater—FAO’s development partner—presented the design, modeling framework, and functionalities of the WatNEX tool. They explained that the engine is built around a modular, dynamic water accounting system capable of simulating sectoral interactions, quantifying trade-offs, and assessing resource-use efficiency under various climate and policy scenarios.

A Step Toward Transformative Water Governance

The launch concluded with an interactive Q&A session, during which participants explored potential applications of WatNEX in policy formulation, basin-level planning, and climate adaptation strategies.

The session reaffirmed FAO’s commitment—and that of its partners—to advancing innovation, data-driven governance, and inter-regional collaboration through tools like WatNEX. As noted by Dr. Elwaer, the initiative marks “a fundamental step towards transforming water scarcity into an opportunity for cooperation, innovation, and resilience across all regions.”