cultural aspects cannot be neglected even in
“modern” societies when it comes to natural
resources management. To do so, a participatory
approach (Smajgl 2018; Eichhorn et al. 2021)
seems to be a natural choice to ensure capturing
aspects of CEK in the development of integrated,
sustainable resources management.
Turning from a rural and traditional system to
an urban and mainly artificial system, in the
chapter “Nexus-Oriented Approach for Sharing
Water Resources: Development of Eco-industrial
Parks in the Catchment of Zayandeh Rud River,
Iran”, von Koerber et al. (2021) investigated an
integrated nexus-oriented approach for addressing water efficacy, water reuse and water sharing
options in eco-industrial parks (EIP) of Iran. This
study explored the collaboration potential
between the industries and their willingness to
share the water resources of different qualities
depending on their industrial water demands.
Industrial development with the water resource
sensitive environment and good water sharing
mechanisms in the eco-industrial park can lead to
considerable freshwater savings in the watershed.
In view of water scarcity, industrial symbiosis
with local stakeholders involvement can improve
water resource efficiency. However, various
obstacles to the realization of the industrial
symbiosis concepts were identified jointly with
involved stakeholders. One major obstacle is
related to the fact that both energy and water
prices were very low, making any investment in
resource savings economically costly. Moreover,
the actual water consumption was unknown in
the studied industrial park due to the lack of
meters, meaning the study had to rely on rough
estimates. Overcoming the obstacles requires
economic incentives, improving the data basis
for better planning, but above all developing a
nexus mindset of involved stakeholders. This
specific case thus confirms the importance of
these aspects highlighted earlier (Hülsmann and
Ardakanian 2018a, b). If planned from the outset,
backed by comprehensive capacity development
and with appropriate economic incentives, the
concept of industrial symbiosis might most easily
be implemented in newly developed EIPs.
In the chapter “City-to-City Learning Within
City Networks to Cater City Needs to Climate
Adaptation—Results of a Preliminary Study”,
Haupt et al. (2021) provide an overview of
existing city networks, which aim to provide
platforms for peer-to-peer learning in response to
common challenges, in particular climate change.
Based on in-depth interviews with key stakeholders it was asked how effective these networks are in knowledge sharing and how this
process can be facilitated and improved. It
emerged from the responses that city-to-city
networks were conceived helpful and effective,
the importance of best-practice examples and of
“frontrunners” was emphasized. A variety of
tools and methods were considered helpful,
including conferences, workshops on specific
topics and webinars. In line with the nexus
concept, it was argued that the inter-relations
between different networks with diverging foci
(e.g., region, theme) should be strengthened and
involved stakeholders should diversify, e.g., with
regard to the private sector.
In the chapter “A Participatory Multistakeholder Approach to Implementing the
Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development:
Theoretical Basis and Empirical Findings”,
Eichhorn et al. (2021) address the question how
integrated management and a participatory multistakeholder approach can be systematically
realized at the local level (municipalities) to
develop sustainability strategies. Results are
based on a project in North Rhine-Westphalia,
Germany, carried out by a sustainability network.
They strongly confirm the importance of participatory processes for the implementation of
integrated management strategies (Kirschke et al.
2016; Smajgl 2018). In particular, they found
that besides the representation of critical stakeholders, the political support from administration
heads and the structuring of the participatory
The Nexus Approach as a Tool for Resources Management …
9
“modern” societies when it comes to natural
resources management. To do so, a participatory
approach (Smajgl 2018; Eichhorn et al. 2021)
seems to be a natural choice to ensure capturing
aspects of CEK in the development of integrated,
sustainable resources management.
Turning from a rural and traditional system to
an urban and mainly artificial system, in the
chapter “Nexus-Oriented Approach for Sharing
Water Resources: Development of Eco-industrial
Parks in the Catchment of Zayandeh Rud River,
Iran”, von Koerber et al. (2021) investigated an
integrated nexus-oriented approach for addressing water efficacy, water reuse and water sharing
options in eco-industrial parks (EIP) of Iran. This
study explored the collaboration potential
between the industries and their willingness to
share the water resources of different qualities
depending on their industrial water demands.
Industrial development with the water resource
sensitive environment and good water sharing
mechanisms in the eco-industrial park can lead to
considerable freshwater savings in the watershed.
In view of water scarcity, industrial symbiosis
with local stakeholders involvement can improve
water resource efficiency. However, various
obstacles to the realization of the industrial
symbiosis concepts were identified jointly with
involved stakeholders. One major obstacle is
related to the fact that both energy and water
prices were very low, making any investment in
resource savings economically costly. Moreover,
the actual water consumption was unknown in
the studied industrial park due to the lack of
meters, meaning the study had to rely on rough
estimates. Overcoming the obstacles requires
economic incentives, improving the data basis
for better planning, but above all developing a
nexus mindset of involved stakeholders. This
specific case thus confirms the importance of
these aspects highlighted earlier (Hülsmann and
Ardakanian 2018a, b). If planned from the outset,
backed by comprehensive capacity development
and with appropriate economic incentives, the
concept of industrial symbiosis might most easily
be implemented in newly developed EIPs.
In the chapter “City-to-City Learning Within
City Networks to Cater City Needs to Climate
Adaptation—Results of a Preliminary Study”,
Haupt et al. (2021) provide an overview of
existing city networks, which aim to provide
platforms for peer-to-peer learning in response to
common challenges, in particular climate change.
Based on in-depth interviews with key stakeholders it was asked how effective these networks are in knowledge sharing and how this
process can be facilitated and improved. It
emerged from the responses that city-to-city
networks were conceived helpful and effective,
the importance of best-practice examples and of
“frontrunners” was emphasized. A variety of
tools and methods were considered helpful,
including conferences, workshops on specific
topics and webinars. In line with the nexus
concept, it was argued that the inter-relations
between different networks with diverging foci
(e.g., region, theme) should be strengthened and
involved stakeholders should diversify, e.g., with
regard to the private sector.
In the chapter “A Participatory Multistakeholder Approach to Implementing the
Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development:
Theoretical Basis and Empirical Findings”,
Eichhorn et al. (2021) address the question how
integrated management and a participatory multistakeholder approach can be systematically
realized at the local level (municipalities) to
develop sustainability strategies. Results are
based on a project in North Rhine-Westphalia,
Germany, carried out by a sustainability network.
They strongly confirm the importance of participatory processes for the implementation of
integrated management strategies (Kirschke et al.
2016; Smajgl 2018). In particular, they found
that besides the representation of critical stakeholders, the political support from administration
heads and the structuring of the participatory
The Nexus Approach as a Tool for Resources Management …
9