Water is a necessary part of the climate solution: without considering freshwater in mitigation and adaptation, the Paris Agreement will likely be out of reach.
By investing in adaptive water planning and management, countries can help build climate-resilient societies that benefit both people and the planet. If water is not considered in decision-making, there are risks to climate action, with many net zero initiatives dependent on abundant and reliable water.
COP28 marks the halfway point in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and will be the first assessment, also known as the Global Stocktake, of how countries have progressed against their commitments made at COP21 Paris in 2015.
Political messages at COP28 will likely call for countries to increase their emissions reductions by revising and enhancing their current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
What are we asking policymakers and negotiators to consider in the political recommendations?
Article 7 of the Paris Agreement establishes the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) of “enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change, with a view to contributing to sustainable development”. However, translating this high-level statement into action has proven to be difficult.
To address Article 7, countries established the two-year Glasgow-Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) at COP26 to enhance and support adaptation action through a country-driven process.
This programme ends its mandate at COP28 where climate negotiators are expected to deliver a GGA Framework.
The draft structure of the framework comprises at the moment: a) adaptation dimensions across the adaptation policy cycle; b) adaptation across a set of themes (current negotiations include “water” and “freshwater ecosystems” themes; and, c) adaptation cross-cutting considerations.
What are we asking policymakers and negotiators to consider?
As an essential resource for adaptation, water must be highlighted as a strong component of the GGA Framework. Water is one of Earth’s most precious resources, sustaining well-being, ecosystems, economies, biodiversity and society as a whole.
The global climate crisis makes the management of water availability and quality increasingly difficult, demanding adaptation strategies for this scarce and precious resource. Global adaptation to climate change will not be successful without careful consideration of water resources and the freshwater ecosystems they rely on.
Adopting water-related adaptation targets can raise the ambition needed to achieve the Global Goal on Adaptation.
The expertise of the water community can be harnessed to support the articulation and development of the GGA framework beyond 2023.
Water features in several global agreements, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk reduction, The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), the United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. However, water is not explicitly mentioned in the Paris Agreement, and the existing global frameworks that address water do not include climate-rooted adaptation targets. Currently, there are no global frameworks with targets that explicitly link water with climate outcomes.
Setting sectoral targets has driven ambition and provided guidance towards sustainable development and poverty eradication. Defining water-related adaptation targets within the GGA Framework offers a unique opportunity to enhance climate adaptation ambition, transform existing governance and management systems, and to increase coherence of the existing global frameworks to bring about a sustainable and climate resilient future for all.
The expertise of the water community can be harnessed to support the articulation and development of the GGA framework beyond 2023. The water sector has been refining and evolving its approach to monitoring progress for decades. The GGA does not have to start from zero or work in isolation when it comes to establishing targets and monitoring progress. The water community can provide technical support to parties as needed:
References
WASH key messages and briefing to COP28 delegations | Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (unicef.org)
What are we asking policymakers and negotiators to consider?
Finance
Knowledge, Innovation and Technology
Circular Economy
Capacity development and means of implementation
Recognizing the need to bridge more effectively towards those outside of the international water community, the Water for Climate Pavilion is encouraging its Core Partners to take on responsibilities to learn the issues and language in different climate spaces and build relationships with the stakeholders engaged there.