The Nexus Approach as a Tool
for Resources Management
in Resilient Cities
and Multifunctional Land-Use
Systems
Stephan Hülsmann and Mahesh Jampani
Abstract
The Nexus Approach to environmental
resources management is increasingly recognized as an important vehicle to achieve
sustainability as spelled out in the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, it
was argued that the Nexus Approach is key
for the sustainable use of environmental
resources under conditions of global change
and provides a tool to deal with challenges of
global change including climate change,
urbanization and population growth. Building
on conceptual considerations with regard to
monitoring and implementation outlined earlier, here, we explore how the Nexus
Approach may provide solutions for managing resources in multifunctional land-use
systems and resilient cities. In fact, the
resources perspective is essential for holistic
management of water, soil and waste along
the urban–rural axis. Peri-urban areas provide
perfect examples of multifunctional systems
with manyfold opportunities to closing cycles,
improve resource efficiency and mitigate
trade-offs. Cases described in this book
provide both positive as well as negative
examples of what can be achieved by applying
nexus thinking and what goes wrong if you
don’t. Key messages emerging include: (i) participatory approaches are a central element for
successful implementation of a nexus
approach, (ii) effective mechanisms of knowledge transfer are a prerequisite of adoption
and upscaling of nexus approaches and
(iii) the lack of economic incentives and lack
of data represent major challenges for the
implementation of a nexus approach. Overall,
the importance of a nexus mindset of all
stakeholders involved in nexus cases and of
providing an enabling environment by
nexus-oriented governance, including appropriate economic instruments, was confirmed.
Keywords
Rural–urban nexus Á Participatory approaches Á
Knowledge transfer Á Economic incentives
S. Hülsmann (&) Á M. Jampani
United Nations University, Institute for Integrated
Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources
(UNU-FLORES), Ammonstraße 74, 01067 Dresden,
Germany
e-mail: stephan.huelsmann.dd@gmail.com
S. Hülsmann
Global Change Research Institute, The Czech
Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 4a, 603 00 Brno,
Czech Republic
M. Jampani
Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of
Groundwater Management, 01069 Dresden,
Germany
M. Jampani
International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
127 Sunil Mawatha, Pelawatte, Battaramulla,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Hülsmann and M. Jampani (eds.), A Nexus Approach for Sustainable Development,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57530-4_1
1
for Resources Management
in Resilient Cities
and Multifunctional Land-Use
Systems
Stephan Hülsmann and Mahesh Jampani
Abstract
The Nexus Approach to environmental
resources management is increasingly recognized as an important vehicle to achieve
sustainability as spelled out in the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, it
was argued that the Nexus Approach is key
for the sustainable use of environmental
resources under conditions of global change
and provides a tool to deal with challenges of
global change including climate change,
urbanization and population growth. Building
on conceptual considerations with regard to
monitoring and implementation outlined earlier, here, we explore how the Nexus
Approach may provide solutions for managing resources in multifunctional land-use
systems and resilient cities. In fact, the
resources perspective is essential for holistic
management of water, soil and waste along
the urban–rural axis. Peri-urban areas provide
perfect examples of multifunctional systems
with manyfold opportunities to closing cycles,
improve resource efficiency and mitigate
trade-offs. Cases described in this book
provide both positive as well as negative
examples of what can be achieved by applying
nexus thinking and what goes wrong if you
don’t. Key messages emerging include: (i) participatory approaches are a central element for
successful implementation of a nexus
approach, (ii) effective mechanisms of knowledge transfer are a prerequisite of adoption
and upscaling of nexus approaches and
(iii) the lack of economic incentives and lack
of data represent major challenges for the
implementation of a nexus approach. Overall,
the importance of a nexus mindset of all
stakeholders involved in nexus cases and of
providing an enabling environment by
nexus-oriented governance, including appropriate economic instruments, was confirmed.
Keywords
Rural–urban nexus Á Participatory approaches Á
Knowledge transfer Á Economic incentives
S. Hülsmann (&) Á M. Jampani
United Nations University, Institute for Integrated
Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources
(UNU-FLORES), Ammonstraße 74, 01067 Dresden,
Germany
e-mail: stephan.huelsmann.dd@gmail.com
S. Hülsmann
Global Change Research Institute, The Czech
Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 4a, 603 00 Brno,
Czech Republic
M. Jampani
Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of
Groundwater Management, 01069 Dresden,
Germany
M. Jampani
International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
127 Sunil Mawatha, Pelawatte, Battaramulla,
Colombo, Sri Lanka
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Hülsmann and M. Jampani (eds.), A Nexus Approach for Sustainable Development,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57530-4_1
1