UNFCCC COP26

The 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) will take place in Glasgow, Scotland and virtually from 31 October - 12 November 2021. The conference will take place under the presidency of the UK. The events of COP26 will take place at the Scottish Event Campus and online.

The COP presidency has laid out four goals for this year’s COP:

1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach

2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats

3. Mobilize finance

4. Work together to deliver

AGWA will be active prior to and throughout COP26. On this page you will find details about some of our events in Glasgow and online, as well as other relevant articles and links.

More information will be added to this webpage as it becomes available. Check back often for updates. For more details, you can also visit the official UNFCCC COP26 website here. 

The Inaugural Water & Climate Pavilion

The water community is once again rallying together to amplify the profile of water within the climate dialogue. This year’s COP will include the first ever Water and Climate Pavilion. Through an impactful set of hybrid events and unified messaging, organizers of the Water and Climate Pavilion aim to elevate ideas and solutions around the role of water in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and support ambitious and science-based global climate action. Programming at the Water and Climate Pavilion will target government leaders, intergovernmental/ multilateral representatives, civil society, and private sector stakeholders attending the COP.

Located within the Blue Zone (accessible to national delegation, observer, and media accreditation holders only), all events will be made accessible to the public virtually through livestreaming on the Water and Climate Pavilion website.

The pavilion is organized under the leadership of SIWI and supported by a set of core partners including AGWA.

The Resilience Hub

Led by global non-state actors from business, investors, civil society, academia, cities and regions, the Resilience Hub is a physical and virtual Hub at COP26 and home of the Race to Resilience. The programme is led by Hubs from around the globe – South Asia, Latin America, Africa, South East and East Asia, Pacific — and from the heart of Glasgow in the COP26 Blue Zone and at Glasgow Caledonian University.

The virtual Hub is home to over 70 events from around the globe. Registration to join the virtual events is required but free.

AGWA Events @COP26

Launch of the Water Pavilion: Unleashing Water’s Power

This session provides an introduction to the first Water and Climate Pavilion, with an emphasis on water’s role in unlocking net zero and climate challenges. Plus, discussions on how COP26 can deliver integrated climate, water, and development solutions and a Keynote from Lord Deben, Chair of the Climate Change Committee (UK).

When: 12:30 - 13:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: AGWA, CDP, GWP, IUCN, SIWI, Water UK, and AWS

Water and Mitigation: From Science to Climate Action

Freshwater-related mitigation measures in water systems, energy systems and ecosystems (such as wetlands and other inland water ecosystems, forest, croplands, rangelands); Mitigation within the water-sanitation-hygiene sector, including links to energy and cities-infrastructure; Educate on the water sectors collective GHG emission impact, celebrate those utilities who have already made a Net Zero commitment, and call other corporations and utilities to make their own commitment.

When: 14:00 - 15:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: SIWI, UNICEF, 50L Home Coalition, and Xylem

Water for Adaptation: Showcasing results from the Adaptation Action Coalition water sector workstream

Introducing the Water Tracker for National Climate Planning! If climate action is to be effective, the vital role of water in mitigating and adapting to climate change must be recognized. Water is a critical resource for all sectors, understanding where and how water is needed for climate action is necessary now to avoid adverse outcomes, maladaptation, or outright project failure. This event will introduce a new tool for countries to assess water needs in their national climate planning and bring together leaders from around the globe to share good practices in adaptation and demonstrate the importance of placing water at the center of resilient climate planning. The Water Tracker for National Climate Planning is an initiative of the Egypt and UK-led Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC), and we will use this opportunity to showcase pilot country experiences applying the Water Tracker to their national climate plans and invite other countries to join the Coalition.

When: 16:00 - 17:00 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the United Kingdom (FCDO); Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC); Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) Global Water Partnership (GWP); Sanitation and Water for All (SWA); United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

Water action as answer to climate change – collaborative action for resilience

The event will highlight the importance and cross-cutting role of “water” solutions for adaptation and mitigation. It will showcase how water and adaptation can be integrated into national policies such as NDCs with involvement of various stakeholders from communities to river basin organisations.

When: 17:30 - 18:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: UN-Water Expert Group (UNECE, UNESCO, WMO, ESCWA, IFAD, UNCCD, UNDP, UNEP, UNICEF, UNU, WHO, DESA, coordinated by UN- Water with the support of AGWA, AquaFed, French Water Partnership, GWP, HumanRight2Water, Ramsar Convention and World Water Council) and WMO

Making Finance Flow: turning on the taps for water and climate solutions

At the critical juncture at COP26, this session will bring together state and non-state representatives as countries raise ambition and turn to implementable solutions. Together, we will show we have the tools and imagination to ensure climate finance for water is transformative, for both our communities and our environment.

When: 10:35 - 11:00 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), WaterAid, and Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA)

Adaptation Action Coalition – Mobilizing Adaptation Action in Partnership

This hybrid online/in-person event will bring adaptation leaders across the globe together to catalyze adaptation action during the World Leader’s Summit. This high-level session will allow leaders to discuss what is needed to advance adaptation progress and provide AAC member countries an opportunity to reaffirm their commitments to adaptation action across various sectors. The event will consist of a high-level panel session focused on taking a whole-of-society approach to adaptation action, followed by a Ministerial session where Ministers will reaffirm their commitments to adaptation action in partnership with the AAC.

When: 17:30 - 18:30 GMT
Venue: Resilience Hub
Organizers: Adaptation Action Coalition, UK, Egypt, World Resources Institute, WHO, AGWA, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
**NOTE: Advanced registration through the Resilience Hub is required to livestream the event. It is still free of charge

Macroeconomic Resilience: Making Water-Sensitive Strategic Choices for Growth

This session will explore how countries can develop national economic resilience strategies that reflect the insights gained from the practice and policy of water resilience, building upon insights from the Dasgupta review on the economics of biodiversity. Organized by the Water Resilience for Economic Resilience (WR4ER) partnership, we will discuss the merits of and need for developing an evidence-based quantitative framework to guide economic planners and decision-makers as they manage social, climatic, economic, and pandemic change and uncertainty.

When: 12:50 - 13:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: Rijkswaterstaat, Deltares, AGWA, World Bank, ADB, Wetlands International, OECD, The Resilience Shift, FCDO, GIZ/BMZ

How resilient hydropower can help adapt to climate change and mitigate carbon emissions

As precipitation and flow regimes evolve from ongoing climate change, hydropower facilities worldwide are facing operational challenges. While severe flooding has been an issue in some places, extreme droughts not anticipated by designers, planners, and operators have more often been an issue, even in facilities that are relatively young. Stark tradeoffs with other water users, including ecosystems, are one result. In the most extreme cases, turbines that are stand high and dry prompt decision makers to shift to backup energy systems, often ones that are carbon-emitting. How can we ensure that our existing and future hydropower assets remain resilient, efficient, and low carbon in an uncertain future?

When: 10:30 - 11:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), French Water Partnership (FWP), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the World Bank Group. French Agency for Development (AFD), Electricité de France (EDF)

Harnessing the power of ecosystems for adaptation and mitigation

NbS are an integrative concept for ecosystem-based approaches and address major societal challenges, such as water security, climate change, biodiversity loss and human health jointly and coherently, contributing to achieving various SDGs. They offer complementary opportunities for effective, robust, cost-efficient, and flexible adaptation and mitigation measures. NbS are structured in five categories (protection, management, restoration, infrastructure, issue-specific), to all of which the partaking institutions implement activities in multiple regional, societal and environmental settings.

Setting the scene with the policy context, the session portrays applications in the field with practical examples from Bolivia and the Dominican Republic, and UK. The session has particular focus on effective manageable ecosystem services provided by the sub-surface.

When: 13:30 - 15:00 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: GIZ, IDB, UNEP, BMZ, AGWA, IWMI, Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice – GRIPP, Centre for Sustainable Solutions in Practical Hydrogeology – CSSPH, Earth Trust, Middle East Water Forum – MEWF, The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Thirsty for Change: The goals of the Paris Agreement are within reach by tapping the potential of water

The Marrakech Partnership Water Action Event will showcase how climate pledges in the water sector translate into concrete steps by the private sector, civil society, youth, indigenous peoples and local communities, contributing to Race to Zero, Race to Resilience and country-led action under the Paris Agreement.

When: 11:30 - 14:45 GMT
Venue: Action Room 1, The Hydro (Blue Zone)
Organizers: MPGCA, SIWI, IUCN, AGWA, CDP, GWP

UNFCCC: Support opportunities available to developing country Parties for implementing MRV and ETF

The GEF and other international partners showcase the financial, technical and capacity-building support opportunities available to developing country Parties for implementing the MRV arrangements under the Convention and transitioning to the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement

When: 13:15 - 14:30 GMT
Venue: Lomond Auditorium
Organizers: UNFCCC secretariat
Livestream: information coming soon

Building progress from complex ingredients: Climate, water, finance, focus on Africa

How can we better manage water resources politically, technically, and financially to face climate change? The economies and societies of African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Ensuring sustainable access to water depends on information, political will & investment.

When: 16:45 - 18:00 GMT
Venue: Lomond Auditorium
Organizers: FCDO, GWP, WWC
Livestream: information coming soon

Resilience as the Middle Ground: Aligning NbS and Adaptation Communities

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and climate adaptation represent two emerging areas of practice, evidence, and policy — and feature as key themes for COP26. The two fields have clear synergies, but they also have significant gaps and areas to bridge. Mainstreaming and upscaling NbS for adaptation will require coordination between the NbS and adaptation communities, as well as inclusion of and alignment with the finance community, to find the NbS-adaptation “middle ground”. This event will build upon an ongoing program of work from WRI addressing this very challenge and include global panelists and innovative cases in NbS, adaptation, and finance.

When: 15:00 - 16:30 GMT
Venue: Resilience Hub
Organizers: AGWA, WRI
**NOTE: Advanced registration through the Resilience Hub is required to livestream the event. It is still free of charge

Enhancing National Climate Resilience: Climate Action & Support Transparency Training (CASTT) Through the Adaptation Academy

This event at COP26 will showcase a new capacity building program under the leadership of the UNFCCC. The CASTT Adaptation Academy provides in-depth training and cross-country exchanges to those involved in national adaptation planning, implementation, and reporting. The event will highlight the Adaptation Academy’s value in building a community of practice among national adaptation focal points and others involved in climate programs. Implementing partners will share their vision for enhancing national climate resilience while participants from the first round of courses will speak to the value of the training program.

When: 14:30 - 15:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: UNFCCC Secretariat, AGWA, IHE-Delft, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Korea Environment Institute (KEI), Oregon State University

Preventing Shocks and Stresses from becoming Crises: The Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF)

Climate change is projected to further intensify the global water cycle, including its variability and the severity of wet and dry events. Shocks and stresses, both predictable and unforeseen, affect the resilience of water systems and the stakeholders that rely on them. What happens when climate change breaks rules we've used to stay profitable, sustainable, and efficient? How can we ensure that our institutions and their operations continue to survive and thrive despite shocks and stresses?

The Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF) is a high-level framework that seeks to prevent shocks and stresses from becoming crises. It aims to facilitate a shared understanding of water system resilience and allow practitioners to develop common measurable goals and outcomes for stakeholder and resilience planning. The WRAF guides users through a process of visualizing the system, developing a resilience strategy, testing the resilience strategy and evaluating the outcomes in order to build system-wide resilience. The WRAF makes resilience a predictable outcome in an unpredictable world, which is increasingly important as climate change continues to alter how we make water management decisions. This session will seek to explore the bounds of resilience thinking and seek input on how to continue to grow and foster resilience.

The session will introduce the framework and how it can be used to build resilience and support climate change adaptation goals. A panel of cross-sectoral experts will further elaborate on the gap that the WRAF fills and how they would use it in their own work. Concluding remarks will focus on the path forward and a call to action.

When: 17:30 - 18:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: AGWA, Pacific Institute, WRI, IWMI, CEO Water Mandate

Building a Climate Resilient Future

What would a climate resilient future look like? This event will try to answer that question, taking us on a global tour of how countries and communities are rising to the challenge of climate change. We will then hear from experts about how we turn these islands of innovation into multipliers of change as we enter this critical decade of action

When: 16:00 - 17:30 GMT
Venue: UK Pavilion
Organizers: COP26 Presidency
Livestream: information coming soon

Tuesday, 9 November

Water Resilient Food Systems: an essential pathway in the face of climate change

Government representatives from the Global South, agriculture private sector, and representatives from donors to frame the issues and why water and agriculture need to work closely together as NDCs show these are priority vulnerable areas in most countries.

When: 13:00 - 14:30 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: GRP, AGWA, IUCN, FAO, CGIAR/IWMI, Global Farmer Network

Wednesday, 10 November

Planning for uncertainty through climate-resilient water management approaches

This event will build upon momentum from the pre-COP Global Conference “Climate-Resilient Water Management Approaches: Application Towards Climate Action and 2030 Development Agenda” held in October 2021. Speakers will present on effective and scalable frameworks for assessing and addressing climate risks, identifying the policies and institutional capacity needed to more widely incorporate these approaches within national climate programs, climate finance, and the private sector.

When: 14:00 - 14:45 GMT
Venue: Water & Climate Pavilion
Organizers: UNESCO, AGWA, ICIWaRM

Thursday, 11 November

Adaptation and resilience in urban water: Role of cities and utilities in achieving the NDCs

With increasing vulnerability to climate change, acceleration of adapation and resilience building will be crucial to cities thriving in the future. Join us for a roundtable with city and infrastructure leaders from around the world on the role that play in contributing to the NDCs and the enablers and barriers they face in adapting and building water resilience in their cities, and hear about the role of tools and approaches, financing and capacity building initiatives in supporting their progression.

When: 17:15 - 18:45 GMT
Venue: Resilience Hub
Organizers: Arup, The Resilience Shift, World Resources Institute, Resilient Cities Network, WaterAid, Stockholm International Water Institute, International Water Association, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor
**NOTE: Advanced registration through the Resilience Hub is required to livestream the event. It is still free of charge