Water is the missing link in all climate plans
Friday October 29, 2021 | Corvallis, Oregon, United States
The Water Pavilion at COP26 in Glasgow will see the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) showcase the ‘Water Tracker for National Climate Planning’, a tool that countries are using to place water at the center of their national climate plans, a critical step for successful climate action.
The showcase takes place at the in-person and online event ‘Water for Adaptation: Showcasing results from the Adaptation Action Coalition water sector workstream’ on 1 November, 16:00–17:00 GMT.
Water is the link required for producing sustainable food, preserving biodiversity and safeguarding communities from the escalating impacts of climate change — most of which are water related.
Water is also intrinsic to countries’ efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, such as capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the production of reliable renewable energy.
Recent submissions of national climate plans suggest that mitigation and adaptation plans, programs and projects do not recognize the strategic role of water.
Kelsey Harpham, Project Manager of the Water Tracker at AGWA said:
“By working with national governments and groups such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, we’ve learnt that when countries ignore the water embedded in their energy, healthcare, agriculture and cities, they’re sowing the seeds of climate risk and potential water conflict. They can get caught in climate traps, when the changing climate affects the water they rely on.
But, the reverse is also true. Recognizing the water shared between systems and sectors promotes climate solutions. The Water Tracker makes the tradeoffs clear, transparent and realistic, replacing conflict with choices and negotiation,” said Ms Harpham.
The Water Tracker tool guides decision-makers working on their countries' national climate plans to systematically assess the water required for climate action across all sectors. The tool ensures that plans are resilient and able to adapt to an uncertain climate future. If countries do not think through the water implications of their climate solutions, then they run the risk of falling short of their climate goals.
Egypt, Malawi and Costa Rica are among the first cohort of countries to apply the Water Tracker to their national climate plans, ahead of COP26.
The Nile Delta in Egypt is one of the world's three extreme vulnerability hot spots, due to water scarcity, increasing sea-level rise and more extreme weather events forecast, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
In Southeastern Africa, Malawi is home to a rapidly growing population and the heavy reliance on subsistence rain-fed agriculture heightens the country's vulnerability to climate impacts. Hydropower in climate-sensitive river basins provides much of the country’s energy sources. More frequent floods and droughts, as well as shifting rainfall patterns, threaten the food and energy security of many Malawians.
In Central America, Costa Rica is highly vulnerable to extreme climate events and natural hazards, with agriculture and the national forest reserves particularly at risk from drought.
Cynthia Barzuna Gutiérrez, Vice Minister of Water and Ocean Affairs, Republic of Costa Rica said:
“Costa Rica has more than 6% of the world's biodiversity and 27% of our territory is protected under different categories of protected areas. However, our country faces a number of water-related challenges as a result of climate change.
That is why we are working with the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation and the Adaptation Action Coalition using the Water Tracker tool. This has enabled us to understand our vulnerabilities, how to manage them and how to improve our public policies and incorporate them in our legal framework and plans,” said Cynthia Barzuna Gutiérrez.
John Matthews, Executive Director of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) said:
“At COP26 we’re all here to transition the Paris Agreement from a few words on paper into action throughout national governments.
It’s time to move away from presidents and prime ministers to the climate planning specialists and operations staff that make climate action real.
Many tasked with delivering the promise of the Paris Agreement have little or no training in climate action, even in the most developed countries.
The Water Tracker recognizes that water is the bright blue heart of climate action — that we cannot deliver reliably clean energy, durable poverty alleviation, and resilient cities and ecosystems without placing water at the center of our actions — planning and operational staff need this level of guidance.
We’ve come together with dozens of institutions to develop a practical and actionable tool that gives countries a path to build their own resilience.”
Event details
Water for Adaptation: Showcasing results from the Adaptation Action Coalition water sector workstream
1 November 2021 | 16:00 - 17:00 GMT
Where: Water Pavilion at COP26 | waterforclimate.net
For media
The Water Tracker (watertracker.cc) was developed by the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership (GWP), Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), and UNICEF. It is funded by UK Aid through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and is part of the water workstream of the Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC).
Media Contacts:
Alex Mauroner - Chief Operating Officer, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation
Laura McDonald - Media Associate, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation