As Water Disasters Increase, How do We Impact Climate Policy?
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In 2024, water disasters claimed at least 8,700 lives, displaced 40 million people, and caused over $550 billion in economic losses, according to The Guardian. These included catastrophic rainfall in Spain, and record-breaking droughts in Brazil which have jeopardized the lives of more than 420,000 children. Experts predict 2025 may only get worse.??
Global leaders often make the mistake of approaching climate policy as a zero-sum game, where advancing one priority – such as food security, energy efficiency or improved public health – means sidelining another. However, it’s not about achieving one goal at the expense of others. It’s about remembering that development goals are intertwined.?Climate policy that doesn’t include water is incomplete policy.??
The challenges ahead may seem daunting, but this year also presents significant opportunities to drive progress and build resilience. And it starts with embedding water and sanitation into climate policies.?
Looking Ahead: Placing Water and Sanitation in National Climate Plans??
The 2025 updates to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) offer a crucial opportunity to elevate water and sanitation within climate action frameworks. Under the Paris Agreement, every country commits to submitting NDCs, which detail their plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate impacts like drought, flooding, and sea-level rise. NAPs, in contrast, focus on adaptation strategies and their implementation, particularly for vulnerable sectors, aiming to build resilience to climate change’s immediate and long-term impacts.??
A joint study, conducted by SWA and partners, found that only 5% of the 198 NDCs previously submitted as of May 2024 prioritized water supply as a critical issue. Among the 58 NAPs submitted—primarily from developing countries—61% highlighted water supply as a high priority. However, developed countries, which are not required to submit NAPs, must also step up to integrate water and sanitation into their national climate strategies.?
This year, we have the chance to close this gap and ensure water and sanitation are no longer sidelined in global climate efforts. By doing so, we can create more comprehensive policies that address both mitigation and adaptation, ultimately protecting the world’s most vulnerable populations from the worsening impacts of climate change. This will be a key focus at our upcoming webinar in February, where climate experts and policymakers will discuss how SWA partners can engage in national climate processes.
Read more: Countries at COP29 Urged to Prioritize Water in?NDCs??
Adaptation Climbs the Agenda??
As the climate crisis intensifies, the need for adaptation to its effects is climbing the international agenda. The UAE Global Framework for Climate Resilience and the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) aim to protect communities from the worst impacts of climate change. This includes ensuring that water and sanitation systems can withstand the shocks of a changing climate.???
A key challenge is to define measurable indicators for tracking adaptation progress. ?
While most countries at COP29 agreed on the need for global indicators, a few advocated for a more localized approach. This stance did not align with the water community’s priorities to ensure that water and sanitation are prioritized at the highest levels of government, as well as by local communities. “We’ve fought hard for a global agreement with global targets, and those targets must come with global indicators,” said SWA’s Senior Climate Advisor Jose Gesti.???
After two weeks of intense discussions at COP29, negotiators agreed to create a set of no more than 100 globally applicable indicators, which will be presented this year at COP30. These indicators will form a menu from which countries can select those most relevant to their national contexts. Gesti praised the compromise, saying it “supports the water community’s efforts to drive action at both national and local levels.”??
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Background Reading: The First Thematic Target of the GGA is Water and Sanitation???
The Baku Declaration: Water at the Heart of Climate Action??
At COP29, conference president Mukhtar Babayev and UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen launched the Baku Declaration on Water for Climate Action, which was endorsed by 50 countries and multiple organizations including SWA.???
The declaration isn’t just symbolic. It creates a platform for sustained discussions on water as we look forward to COP30. It’s also a vital step toward integrating water into formal climate negotiations. This focus is particularly urgent as water has so far been largely absent from the talks on mitigation, finance, and carbon markets, with the exception of the Global Goal on Adaptation.??
Climate Webinar: 11 February
Countdown to COP30: Prioritizing Water and Sanitation in Climate Action
The clock is already counting down toward the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil with a lot of key policy milestones taking place this year. Join us as we reflect on important COP29 outcomes for our sector and launch SWA’s definition of climate-resilient WASH systems. We’ll also share how you can influence your country’s climate strategies, from National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Featuring insights from key climate negotiators, government leaders, and civil society experts, this webinar is your roadmap to embedding water and sanitation in global climate action.?
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Head of Programmes, WaterAid Mozambique
1 个月Insightful!