Following the Dresden Nexus Conference in 2025, which also marked its 10th anniversary, a policy brief was developed by researchers from the Nexus community. The development of the Policy Brief was led by UNU-FLORES and PRIMA.
The policy brief is titled “What ‘Nexus’? Towards Resource Nexus Standardization.”
The Policy Brief:
- Proposes a new definition of the Resource Nexus;
- Identifies key steps for the operationalization and certification of the Resource Nexus;
- Demonstrates how a Resource Nexus framework can enhance policy coherence, manage trade-offs, and unlock synergies across sectors and scales.
The brief recommends a standardization scheme for Resource Nexus projects to ensure consistency, transparency, and impact across initiatives supported by public and donor funding. Standardization of the Resource Nexus involves harmonizing core elements of project design, assessment, and implementation.
The Policy Brief was authored by: Floor Brouwer (UNU-FLORES, Germany), Ali Rhouma (PRIMA Foundation, Spain), Daniel Karthe (UNU-FLORES, Germany), Antonella Autino (PRIMA Foundation, Spain), Bassel Daher (Texas A&M University, USA), Edeltraud Guenther (UNU-FLORES, Germany), Rabi Mohtar (Texas A&M University, USA), Annette Huber-Lee (SEI, USA), Zeeshan Tahir Virk (University of Oulu, Finland), Chrysi Laspidou (University of Thessaly, Greece), Nidhi Nagabhatla (UNU-CRIS, Belgium), Claudia Ringler (IFPRI, USA), Maria Vrachioli (Technical University of Munich, Germany), and Michael Jacobson (Penn State University, USA).
Suggested citation: What “Nexus”? Towards Resource Nexus Standardization : UNU-FLORES, 2026.
