Sustainability Nexus Forum: Operationalizing the WEFE nexus through participatory strategic planning in the Jordan Valley

Abstract:

The Jordan Valley, spanning Jordan, Israel and Palestine, faces acute challenges of desertification, water scarcity, ecosystem degradation, and socio-economic vulnerability, all exacerbated by climate change and geopolitical fragmentation. Addressing these interlinked pressures requires moving beyond sectoral interventions towards integrated and context-sensitive strategies. This paper presents the experience of the EcoFuture project, which co-developed a climate adaptation strategy for the Jordan Valley using the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus as its guiding framework. The methodology combines participatory Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) with a novel “strategic bundling” approach to support both evaluation and design of interventions. Over 40 stakeholders from Jordan and Palestine engaged in a Transnational Living Lab, where they assessed and prioritized measures ranging from rainwater harvesting and irrigation efficiency to agroecological practices, renewable energy systems, and ecosystem restoration. Comparative application of the Weighted Sum Method and the Minmax method revealed both convergences and divergences, highlighting how different decision rationales shape priorities and offering complementary insights for risk-sensitive planning. Building on the MCDA results, strategic bundling synthesized high-performing measures into coherent implementation packages, enhancing feasibility, cross-sectoral synergies and alignment with policy and funding frameworks. The resulting portfolio of measures promotes a paradigm shift in agriculture and resource management: from resource-intensive practices toward nature-based, circular, and regenerative solutions. Beyond providing a set of priority interventions and implementation packages, the process strengthened transboundary collaboration, institutional learning, and stakeholder ownership. The dual-methodological framework of participatory MCDA and bundling offers a replicable model for operationalizing nexus planning in fragile regions facing complex sustainability challenges.