After four years of collaborative research and stakeholder engagement, the NEXOGENESIS project officially concluded in August 2025. The project leaves behind a rich legacy of tools, frameworks, and case study experiences that will support more sustainable and integrated governance across the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus.

At the heart of NEXOGENESIS was the ambition to empower policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders with science-based solutions to address complex environmental challenges. The project’s results reflect this ambition, offering practical resources for future decision-making.

Key Outputs of NEXOGENESIS

🔹 NEPAT – NExus Policy Assessment Tool
A web-based decision-support platform that enables users to design and evaluate policies across the WEFE nexus. NEPAT allows the testing of policy packages under diverse climate and socio-economic futures, presenting results through indicators, Nexus Footprint indices, and visual maps. Its AI-driven insights guide users in balancing trade-offs and strengthening cross-sectoral sustainability.

🔹 WEFE Nexus Footprint
A composite indicator that captures and visualises the intricate interactions between water, energy, food, and ecosystems. Integrated into NEPAT, it provides a snapshot of the system’s status for a given river basin and scenario, helping decision-makers better understand trade-offs and synergies.

🔹 User-Validated Policy Packages (UVPPs)
Structured frameworks co-created with stakeholders, combining policy measures, governance roadmaps, and voluntary agreements. UVPPs enhance policy coherence, address resource management challenges, and ensure that collaboration continues beyond the project’s lifetime.

🔹 The Nexus Governance Guidebook
A hands-on framework capturing the NEXOGENESIS approach to co-creating policies through stakeholder involvement. It provides a step-by-step methodology adaptable to different governance settings, enriched with best practices and lessons learned from case studies across Europe and Africa.

🔹 Case Studies: Local Impact in Action
The project’s tools and frameworks were tested in five diverse river basins:

  • Nestos/Mesta (Greece/Bulgaria): Stakeholders co-created policy packages and roadmaps, with ongoing efforts to secure funding and regional integration.

  • Lielupe (Latvia): A collaboration agreement was signed to ensure continuity and synergies with other projects.

  • Lower Danube/Jiu (Romania): Two agreements were secured: one with Romania’s SDG Department and one with the Water Management Administration of Jiu River basin

  • Adige (Italy): The “Adige Water Fair” brought stakeholders together for open dialogue on sustainable water management.

  • Inkomati-Usuthu (South Africa): Stakeholders committed to future collaboration, laying the foundation for long-term engagement.

Looking Ahead

The results of NEXOGENESIS represent more than the conclusion of a project—they provide a foundation for advancing WEFE Nexus governance worldwide. By equipping decision-makers with tested tools, structured frameworks, and proven collaborative approaches, NEXOGENESIS empowers future policies to be more integrated, resilient, and sustainable.

👉 Explore all the results and learn more about how NEXOGENESIS is shaping the future of resource governance on our Solutions and Case Study pages.