IPCC AR6 conclusions on water security and launch of the Expanded Water Tracker for National Climate Planning

Name: IPCC AR6 conclusions on water security and launch of the Expanded Water Tracker for National Climate Planning — Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA)
Start: 2022-11-12T16:45:00-0800
End: 2022-11-12T18:15:00-0800

Saturday, November 12, 2022
4:45 PM 6:15 PM 16:45 18:15

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Saturday 12 November 2022

16:45-18:15 Eastern European Time (EET) (UTC+2)

Room Hatshepsut, Blue Zone, COP27, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

Watch the livestream

Background

The IPCC’s AR6 Working Group II Report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability notes that the majority of all adaptation actions are water-related. Water is a critical resource for improving human and ecosystem resilience, but is also heavily impacted by climate change. Water resilience is an emerging approach to water management, planning, and policy that can integrate many sectors and clarify priorities and tradeoffs. Simply put, it means the ability of water-related policies, plans and investments to cope with climate-related impacts.

Session overview

This side event at COP27 launches a new global partnership supporting the development and implementation of water-resilient NDCs and NAPs. Following the publication of the IPCC AR6 Working Group 2 report earlier this year, we will provide an overview of climate risks to water security, including drought, floods, and human vulnerability and demonstrate how the Water Tracker tool addresses these systemic issues and showcase examples of climate-resilient water management from Water Tracker pilot countries including Nepal, Palestine, and Nigeria.

The Water Tracker makes explicit the water embedded in climate change mitigation and adaptation actions and guides countries to systematically assess water use, allocation, and tradeoffs across multiple sectors, making sure that plans are robust, flexible and able to withstand the impacts of climate change.

Over the past 14 months we have worked to develop the Water Tracker tool along with a complementary Guidance Document that can be used to apply the tool to a country’s national climate and development plans. We have piloted the Tracker in 10 countries and counting, and will be expanding our partnership over the coming months in order to take the Tracker to the next level, going deeper with countries to help them plan, prioritize, finance and implement credible and effective climate actions.

Convenors

Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), Arup, Deltares, University of Exeter, Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the UK, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Walker Institute at the University of Reading

Program

16:45-16:55 | Welcoming remarks

Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister of State (Overseas Territories, Commonwealth, Energy, Climate and Environment), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UK

Dr. Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources & Irrigation, Egypt

16:55-17:10 | Science keynote

IPCC assessment of climate change implications for water security

Professor Richard Betts, University of Exeter & UK Met Office

17:10-17:20 | Moving from risk to resilience

From the bottom up: connecting physical science and economic data to enhance local climate resilience. Featuring My Climate Risk regional hubs and the development of science-based groundwater futures in the Volta Basin, West Africa

Professor Rosalind Cornforth, Walker Institute, University of Reading

17:20-17:25 | Introducing the Expanded Water Tracker for National Climate Planning

Ms. Kelsey Harpham, AGWA

17:25-17:55 | Moderated discussion: Water resilience as the key to effective climate action

Moderator: Dr. Vidhisha Samarasekara, IWMI
Nepal – Ms. Sarita Dawadi, Joint Secretary and Executive Director of the Water Resources Research Development Center, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation
Palestine – Ms. Ibtisam Abuhaija, Director of Climate Change and Drought Management, Ministry of Agriculture
Lagos, Nigeria – Dr Folayinka Dania, Chief Resilience Officer, Lagos State Resilience Office
Panama – Nicole Francisco, Department of Climate Change, Panama Ministry of Environment
Asian Development Bank – Arghya Sinha Roy, Principal Climate Change Adaptation Specialist
Green Climate Fund – Dr Amgad Elmahdi, Water Sector Lead

17:55-18:10 | Q&A with virtual and in-person audience

18:10-18:15 | Closing

Arghya Sinha Roy, Principal Climate Change Adaptation Specialist, ADB