IFWEN is an international team of researchers and stakeholders, funded by the Belmont Forum, working to expand knowledge on urban governance related to the connections between food, water, and energy (FWEN) in cities, with Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) as the foundation. IFWEN stands for: Understanding Innovative Initiatives to Govern the Food, Water, and Energy Nexus in Cities.

Better governance of the interactions between food, water, and energy in cities can bring significant benefits in addressing some of the world’s most complex problems, including climate change and biodiversity loss, while also contributing to other development goals such as food security and health.

This team of researchers, practitioners, and creatives worked together from 2018 to 2021 to deepen knowledge on urban governance at different levels related to the Water, Energy, and Environment nexus (FWEN), using Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI), and developing new concepts and approaches to understand how to assess, govern, and build GBI solutions and policies.

The project developed a framework and tools to evaluate changes in energy, water, and leisure networks (FWEN) in cities, highlighting trade-offs and promoting the development of innovative capacities in cities to create better solutions. The project also visualized and created creative experiences around the data produced to help promote, explain, and advocate for FWEN interconnections in cities.

São Paulo School of Business Administration – Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EAESP)

Researcher: José A. Puppim de Oliveira

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