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Project Topic
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Based on 4 Demonstration Sites (DSs) and 3 Replication Sites (in Egypt, Greece, Morocco, and Italy) producing cornerstone
agricultural products (i.e. cereals, fruits, vegetables, cotton, and other industrial crops), and considering the main trends for the
next 30 years of climate, natural resources (water, soil), urbanization (including migration and labour), markets (supply,
demand, prices), and macro-economic variables (i.e., GDP, interest rates, investment in agriculture), the project objective is to
co-design, test and develop operational adaptation solutions via innovative business-based models for efficient use and saving
of water-energy-food-ecosystem resources, and sustainable market solutions, that take advantage of local and regional
initiatives, federate and engage local stakeholders, and mobilize a Cross-Sectoral Nexus adaptation tool for transition to Green
Economy and Sustainable Development.
To achieve this objective, DIONYSUS seeks to promote a Cross-Sectoral Nexus adaptation tool in representative DSs by
mobilizing stakeholders and policy decision-makers to establish of 7 “Action-Panels”. These “Action-Panels” will be mobilized in
a participatory approach to co-design operational adaptation solutions and prioritize indicators for optimization and co-
development of WEFE toolboxes and guidelines combinations. These operational adaptation solutions will be linked with
existing or co-designed public policy incentives and existing Nexus technological innovations which try to mitigate the WEFE
resources in the examined DSs. Then, a modelling chain, combining DAHBSIM model Computable General Equilibrium (CGE)
model, will be developed with a view to supporting a quantitative strategic planning that will boost long-term adaptive capacity
to dwindling WEFE resources in the Mediterranean Region. This platform will serve as a conceptual and evaluative tool in order
to facilitate decision-makers reflection towards the designing of cross-sector policies integrating Nexus solutions into existing
climate change adaptation plans. It will allow the stakeholders to i) simultaneously test more field- or market/global- driver
experiments, ii) respond to a wide range of concurrent challenges raised by farmers, advisors or stakeholders, iii) assess the
impacts of these innovations on the local communities’ social (e.g. local employment, migration, etc.) and economic
performance (e.g. inequalities), and iv) build tailored made business models to support their economic activities.
DIONYSUS addresses four specific objectives. Firstly, building 4 Demonstration Sites (DSs) and 3 Replication Sites (RSs) to
develop/implement operational adaptation solutions, that produce cornerstone agricultural products, sustain local communities
(e.g. local employment), and face dwindling WEFE resources. Secondly, creating of 7 Action-Panels, build on existing local
initiatives, in order to co-deploy WEFE Nexus-based adaptation solutions. Thirdly, developing an innovative web-based DSS
platform, called DIONYSUS-inov, will serve as an innovative toolbox providing guidelines to decision-makers. And fourthly,
upscaling and integrating the operational adaptation solutions, via the creation of a “DIONYSUS Think-Tank” in the
Mediterranean region, which will capitalize the results of the DSS platform.
The impact of DIONYSUS aims to support the Nexus cross-sectoral concept as a tool in climate adaptation and mitigation
strategies by designing optimal adaptation Nexus solutions. The solutions will be translated to effective toolboxes and guidelines
easily applicable in different study areas and facilitating the implementation of adaptation WEFE strategies which will aim to
have a significant positive impact on local employment, rural living standards, household income development, national GDPs,
access to markets, imports/exports, inequalities, and WEFE resources.
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