Sustainable Urban Development and the Energy-Water Nexus

This facilitated panel discussion explores some of the solutions we can bring as development professionals who spend time on towns, cities, and the built environment and the nexus of water and energy. By association, it has relevance to “off-grid” energy and water and energy systems in non-urban settings.

We start with an exploration of measuring multiple benefits (social, economic and environmental) of GHG emission reduction programming from USAID’s recently concluded South Africa Low Emission Development (SA LED) program, which focused on capacity building for low emission municipal development. From there, the presenters will explore specific examples of improved urban infrastructure at the nexus of water and energy: waste to energy systems at waste-water treatment plants, urban indoor-agriculture technologies, and urban micro-grids.

Challenging questions for urban development and the energy-water nexus:

• How can we work with systems and still be accountable for measurable impact?
• Do we need municipal control of water and energy services to achieve measurable benefits in water and energy resource management?
• Is good governance – i.e., lack thereof – a primary obstacle to improved urban energy and water service delivery, and if so, what areas of governance need attention most?

Panelists

• Christelle Beyers, Stellenbosch University, PhD Candidate and former project development specialist, USAID South Africa LED Project
• Melusile Ndlovu, GIZ technical advisor, South African German Energy Programme (SAGEN) and former capacity building specialist, USAID South Africa LED Project
• Frank Sharp, principal technical leader, Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy, Electric Power Research Institute
• Mike Ashford, Water, Energy, and Sustainable Cities Practice director, Chemonics
• Moderated by Todd Diamond, director, United Kingdom Division, Chemonics

Time

Dec 17, 2020 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST

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