Please note that this session was withdrawn and is no longer available in the respective programme. This withdrawal might have been the result of a merge with another session.
ITS3.23/ERE6.7 | Digital Innovation Technologies in Addressing Challenges and Capturing Opportunities for a Sustainable Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Multi-Sector Collaboration Towards UN SDGs
EDI
Digital Innovation Technologies in Addressing Challenges and Capturing Opportunities for a Sustainable Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Multi-Sector Collaboration Towards UN SDGs
ICID and ICARDA
Convener: Atiyeh ArdakanianECSECS | Co-conveners: Nagham Saeed, Mona Jaber, Manzoor Qadir, Sandrine Ramboux
The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus has long been recognised as a conceptual model outlining the complex interrelationships between water, energy, and food systems. Though promising in its ability to capture these complexities, its practical application has been a challenging endeavour. This session proposes using digital innovation technologies, or a combination of these technologies, such as Digital Twins, as a groundbreaking method to translate the WEF Nexus from an abstract framework into actionable, real-world solutions.

Utilising advanced technologies like IoT, Machine Learning, and Blockchain, Digital Twins can model the intricate interdependencies within the WEF Nexus, providing a deeper understanding of system dynamics, simulating scenarios, and offering insights for optimisation. The capabilities of these digital innovation technologies can lead to more effective resource allocation, improved sustainability practices, and conflict resolution between competing demands.

Implementing the WEF Nexus through Digital Twins correlates directly with achieving multiple UN SDGs, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This session will also address the challenges of using digital technologies for SDGs, such as data privacy and security.

In realising the ambitious objectives of this session, the involvement of all stakeholders—ranging from policy-makers and industry experts to researchers and end-users—is paramount. A collaborative approach is crucial for fully understanding the WEF Nexus and leveraging Digital Twins as a practical solution. In this context, technology is viewed as a facilitative tool rather than the ultimate aim. By fostering a cooperative ecosystem where technology aids decision-making and resource optimisation, we can move closer to achieving the immediate goals of the WEF Nexus and broader United Nations SDGs.

This session continues the IEEE WIE UKI special session on the "Role of Digital Technology to Support UN SDGs," held at the 4th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Engineering and Management (ICIEM 2023). It is technically sponsored by the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Industrial IoT research groups at the University of West London, the Digital Twins for Sustainable Development Goals Lab at Queen Mary University, and the IEEE WIE UK & Affinity Group.