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COP27 Presidency launches key Water Adaptation Action and Resilience initiative to address water security under climate change
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The day’s program focuses on existing and emerging water security challenges
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 15, 2022 – The World Health Organization has stated that by 2025, half of the world’s population will live in water-scarce areas, and water-related problems are inextricably linked to climate change. The COP27 Water Day provided a forum to address this issue with a focus on sustainable management of water resources.
The day began with the launch of the AWARe initiative, in partnership with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The initiative will promote policy efforts, practical action, knowledge sharing and capacity building on the ground to put adaptive water management systems at the center of the climate change adaptation agenda by establishing a pan-African water hub.
Success stories from Africa were presented, highlighting how water systems have successfully adapted in the face of severe climate change. These include smart irrigation, flood protection and rainwater harvesting. Participants looked at how best to build on these achievements and increase their resilience in the short term to face a worsening climate. Among the topics discussed were public-private partnerships, sustainable financing and increased community engagement.
The President of COP27 H.E. Sameh Shukri said: “With water use increasing every year and 70% of the world’s fresh water used for agriculture according to the World Bank, the pressures of climate change are being felt more and more. Climate change is already limiting people’s access to water globally as droughts, floods and wildfires linked to rising temperatures affect supplies. The monitoring and management of river basin ecosystems is becoming increasingly vital and initiatives such as AWARe will provide transformative collaboration across the continent.”
During the day, sessions highlighted the way forward for adaptation and climate-resilient agriculture. They include:
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Decoupling freshwater use and water security, exploring the potential for frameworks and technologies to enable building resilience to drive water security
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River basin-scale adaptation and its co-benefits and the risk of mal-adaptation looks at mobilizing global efforts to improve water governance, increasing collaborative efforts in water adaptation and the challenges of mal-adaptation
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Floods and droughts focused on the need for people to be protected by early warning systems to save lives and livelihoods.
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Water Mitigation looked at the best way to conserve water resources under climate pressure and ensure access to safe drinking water.
The focus on water at COP27 brought together diverse voices from politicians, scientists, researchers, civil society and government, who shared ideas and success stories related to solving water scarcity problems.
NOTES TO EDITORS
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COP27 Presidency: [email protected]
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www.cop27.eg
Twitter: @COP27P
