This competition challenges students aged between 18 and 26, currently enrolled in Dutch or Romanian universities, to showcase their understanding of the WEF Nexus through creative posters.

The Water-Energy-Food Nexus represents the interconnected relationship between water, energy, and food resources. It is a concept that underscores the critical interdependencies between these sectors and the challenges they collectively face in achieving sustainability and security.

The primary goals of this competition are to increase public awareness about the WEF Nexus concept and its significance in sustainable development, to make WEF Nexus solutions more accessible and inspirational for a broader audience and to contribute to the development of coherent policies across the water, energy, and food sectors, in line with European Union policy.

Students are encouraged to create a poster based on one of the five pre-identified WEF Nexus cases selected for this challenge. The poster should effectively communicate the essence of the chosen case to the public. The challenge is not just about raising awareness but also inspiring action and potential application within the Romanian context.

A Chance to Win €1,500

Participants have the opportunity to win 1,500 EUR in recognition of their creativity and contribution to enhancing understanding of the WEF Nexus.

Applicants have to register and submit the posters by completing this form until November 9th, 2023.

Guidelines regarding the poster competition are available here. The evaluation period is between November 9th – 14th, 2023. Both individuals and teams are welcome to submit applications. The language to be used in the posters is English.

Two prizes of 1,500 EUR each (approximately 7,500 lei) will be awarded to the best Dutch and Romanian posters.

The winning posters will be showcased and awarded during an official ceremony organized by the Netherlands Embassy in Bucharest on November 22, 2023, in the presence of Ambassador Willemijn van Haaften.

The creators of the winning posters will receive invitations to attend the award ceremony in person and their travel and accommodation expenses will be provided by the organizers (for 1 representative if the winner is a team). Additionally, a compilation of submitted posters will be made available through an e-poster-book to further promote the WEF Nexus concepts.

”Water, food, and energy intersect in sustainable development. Agriculture consumes most freshwater, while water supports energy and food. Growing demand due to population, urbanization, and climate change threatens global resource security. We must integrate and sustainably manage these essentials to face short-term supply chain disruptions and long-term climate challenges. Research projects on the WEF nexus offer solutions. This poster competition aims to share WEF concepts and solutions with the public in a clear, inspiring manner”, say the officials of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Romania.