10:45–11:45 Dubai (GST / UTC+4)
This session is part of the Middle East and North Africa Regional Climate Week 2022 taking place in Dubai on March 28–31, 2022.
Building a just, inclusive, and climate-resilient future is not possible without reliable, safe, and accessible water resources. At the same time, we know from the latest IPCC reports that climate change is contributing to increasing water variability in many parts of the world. Communities in the Middle East and North Africa have successfully adapted to thousands of years of water scarcity; today they are combining traditional water diversion systems, such as falaj, with cutting-edge desalination projects. But are these approaches climate resilient? Meaning, are they both flexible enough to adapt to climate change, while robust enough to withstand such change without risking catastrophic failure? And how can we ensure that these water systems are able to function effectively for decades – even centuries – to come?
The Adaptation Action Coalition (AAC), co-led by Egypt and the United Kingdom, is working to enhance climate resilience at the national level across all sectors, including water. Over the past year, the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) and its partners have been working with the AAC to co-develop a new tool for national climate planners called the Water Tracker. The Water Tracker takes a whole-of-government approach, helping countries to assess the water needs of their climate plans, bringing together leaders from around the globe to share good adaptation practices and demonstrate the importance of placing water at the center of resilient climate planning.
The Water Tracker is currently being piloted in Egypt, Malawi, and Costa Rica. Following a successful event showcasing initial results at COP26, nearly two dozen countries have signed up to apply the Water Tracker to their national climate plans in 2022. This event will bring together national representatives from the MENA region, civil society organizations, and local experts to showcase their work on water and climate resilience, demonstrating the value of combining local solutions with global methodologies to ensure a future that is both climate-resilient and water-secure for people, ecosystems, and economies.
Remote participation is available for this event through Microsoft Teams. Use the “Join Now” button below to join the event live during its scheduled time.
The daily program for MENA Climate Week is available online here. The program includes links for virtual participation in other sessions throughout the week.