NEXUS-DRR · Building resilience in the face of nexus threats: local knowledge and social practices of Brazilian youth

Building resilience in the face of nexus threats: local knowledge and social practices of Brazilian youth

The complex interactions of the food-water-energy nexus have become prominent in academic research and policy discourse dealing with both existing and emerging environmental challenges. Nexus thinking has set the imperative for recognising the interconnectedness and structural interdependencies of food, water, and energy systems as essential for sustainable urban governance and development. There has been an increasing awareness and concern regarding secure access to and availability of water, food, and energy, especially in the context of climate change. Natural hazards such as floods and landslides can have an impact on the long-term availability of resources and pose a major risk to resource security. As the existing challenges are exacerbated by climate change, building long-term resilience to resource insecurity becomes even more crucial. Through the integration of nexus thinking and DRR, the project developed novel and interconnected pathways that go beyond short-term responses to strengthening communities’ long-term resilience. The challenges presented by intersections of the nexus with natural hazards are particularly profound in developing countries such as Brazil. Brazil has been experiencing a rapid and unplanned urban expansion leading to the development of marginalized and precarious communities in (peri-) urban areas that are prone to recurring disasters. NEXUS-DRR was based on the premise that communities develop social practices to reduce their vulnerability to nexus threats based on their local knowledge, e.g. through the optimization of resource use. Youth are among the most vulnerable groups to the effects of insecurity and disasters. At the same time, young people can assume a key role in risk reduction strategies as ‘everyday agents’ within their local environments, thereby challenging the domination of ‘adult’ knowledge. The aim of the action was to explore young people’s (aged 12-18) local knowledge and social practices related to nexus threats in marginalized and disaster-prone communities in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, Brazil, and to identify pathways for integrating youth knowledge into public policies and education for resilience. To this end, NEXUS-DRR pursued four research objectives: RO 1: To analyse the ways in which young people understand and experience their everyday role in the food-water-energy nexus, related to their everyday use of resources and their (lack of) inclusion in accessing the different dimensions of the nexus. RO 2: To explore young people’s knowledge of the underlying causes of nexus threats (e.g. landslides and flooding) as well as their perceptions of future nexus scenarios regarding their access to and their use of the nexus. RO 3: To explore the social practices of youth to reduce their vulnerability to resource insecurity and to create resilient communities, by analysing their practices in dealing with nexus threats and by identifying their needs for capacity building. RO 4: To critically reflect on how youth knowledge and their social practices can be valued and taken into account for the development of public policies, focusing on integrating the role of youth agency in participatory early warning systems and education for resilience. The action was undertaken in collaboration with the School of Public Health at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) and the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham (UoB). The action was designed using participatory research, empowering young people as co-producers of knowledge. Data was collected using face-to-face youth-led workshops as well as remote activities with approximately 40 participants, using WhatsApp as main means of communication. Activities included online group discussions, individual interviews and interactive activities such as photovoice to reflect on chronic and acute everyday disaster risk, adaptive actions, youth agency and emotional resilience.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union