Bioenergy-Water Workshop at Bioenergy Australia

IEA Bioenergy Tasks 43
QLD, Australia November 23-25, 2011

Conference Report in Biofuels (2012) 3(2),115-118

Presentations for download:

Bioenergy and Water – Challenges and Opportunities: Introduction to the Session
Goran Berndes, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Conceptual and Analytical Frameworks for Evaluation and Reporting of the Bioenergy Impacts: The Challenge of Applying LCA for Water
Brendan George, University of New England

Best Management Practices: A Tool for Responsible Water Management
Dan Neary, Southwest Watershed Team, USDA Forest Service

Economics of SRC and Impact of Competition for Water Resources
Amir Abadi, Future Farm Industries CRC, Austalia

Biofuels: Addressing Major Policy Risks
Paul Martin, University of New England

Hydrologic Consequences of Jatropha Production on Wastelands in Developing Countries
Suhas P. Wani, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics

Bioenergy in Water Scarce Countries: Experiences from South Africa
Richard Kunz, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Biofuels and Water: Lessons from California
Kevin Fingerman, UC Berkeley Energy & Resources Group

Optimising Water Use and Minimising Drought Risks in Biomass Production
John McGrath, Murdoch University FFI CRC

Workshop Summary

Bioenergy and water are inextricably linked. In a world where several countries already face water stress – and where over 70% of global freshwater use takes place in the agricultural sector – bioenergy development might present con- siderable challenges, from the perspective of water quantity as well as water quality. At the same time, by leveraging the introduction of efficient water manage- ment techniques and providing energy for water pumping and cleaning, and by providing a wider range of land-use options to optimize the use of land and water, bioenergy development provides opportunities to improve water productivity and increase access to water. Proper integration of bioenergy systems into forestry and agriculture can even reduce some of the impacts of present land use, such as eutrophication and soil erosion.

IEA Bioenergy Task 43 organizes this workshop on bioenergy and water as a follow-up to the workshop – Spotlight on Bioenergy and Water – that was held in July 2010, organized by Task 43 together with The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Oeko-Institut. The workshop is one component in a larger effort that intends to advance knowledge and promote information exchanges concerning the bioenergy and water nexus in the global community. The aim is to stimulate dialogue with groups and organizations working on the issue, and to promote sound bioenergy development that is driven by well-informed decisions in business, governments and elsewhere.

The workshop includes a series of presentations, covering different perspectives on the bioenergy and water nexus, with time for discussion and debate between presentations and in the end of the workshop. The outcome will be used as a basis for producing a brief workshop report summarizing main points and providing a synthesis view on the bioenergy and water nexus, which will be delivered to the 6th World Water Forum to be held in March 2011 in Marseille, France.