Following up on the Sixth meeting of the task group on the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus, held in October 2020 in Geneva, of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes; on February 22, the expert dialogue on Nexus solutions and investments in LAC was held. This was organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Experts and project managers from multilateral organizations, regional commissions, governmental and non-governmental institutions, and the academic world that are involved in the policy dialogues of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus or in projects of cross-border relevance in the LAC region, were invited to the meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to initiate a dialogue about the experiences and opportunities for the application of the Nexus solutions, including the investment challenges for the region. Silvia Saravia Matus and Marina Gil, from ECLAC's Water and Energy Unit, began with the presentation of a comparative analysis of actions focused on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and lessons learned for LAC countries. Next, Annukka Lipponen presented the preliminary UNECE conclusions of the balance of the Nexus solutions and investments in the transboundary basins; opening the way to the debate of Session 1, aimed at discussing Nexus solutions in LAC.

Session 2, moderated by Raúl Muñoz of the IDB, specifically addressed the issue of financing Nexus initiatives in LAC, particularly in the context of transboundary basins. Finally, Marina Gil and Silvia Saravia Matus moderated Session 3, intended to discuss the future of the Nexus approach in LAC. In this session, the participants identified that the three main barriers to the implementation of the Nexus approach in LAC are related to issues of coordination, financing, and institutions. From an academic perspective, Guillermo Donoso (professor at the Catholic University of Chile) emphasized that conceptual frameworks and models are needed to understand the complexity of the Nexus that may moderate a feasible space for co-benefits through more sustainable ways of using natural resources. Next, Andrei Jouravlev (former ECLAC official and regional expert on water issues) highlighted the importance of planning and coordinating international organizations around the Nexus' work in the region. And finally, Antonio Levy (regional coordinator of the GIZ Nexus program for LAC), highlighted the difficulties of putting into practice investments in the Nexus that, although essential to guarantee sustainability, often not all of its benefits are accounted for, particularly the socio-environmental ones.

The outcomes of this consultation will be reflected in forthcoming publications. UNECE will produce in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the document entitled: "Balance of Nexus Solutions and Investments in Transboundary Basins"; While ECLAC will publish "Comparative analysis of actions with a focus on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Lessons learned for the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean”.