The official Action Day for Water of the COP22 in Marrakech this month has highlighted the strategic importance of water in the context of climate change and proposed tangible solutions for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
In 93% of their National Contributions (INDCs), the countries have identified water as the key to adaptation. Securing water resources is seen as key to ensuring security in wide range of areas of economic, social and environmental development, including human health, food security, energy production and industrial productivity.
In addition, water is critical for climate change mitigation, as many efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on reliable access to water resources.
The COP22 Water Day drew attention to the fact systematically addressing these challenges is key to adapting to climate change, limiting both the carbon footprint of water services and the “water” footprint in general and reducing the negative impacts of water-related disasters.
The four Alliances for Basins (Paris Pact), Megacities, Desalinization and Business, created at the COP21 in Paris in 2015 which now represent more than 450 organizations worldwide, also signed a Joint Declaration committing themselves to mobilize their partners, identify and disseminate good practices and support the development of new projects by field actors engaged in adaptation and resilience of the water sector.
Positive initiatives presented by the Alliances at the event included the Flagship Projects on water adaptation launched at the COP21. It also the making of an analysis of the situation of water resources and services in fifteen megacities, of the expected impact of climate change on them, and a review of innovative strategies and solutions devised by these megacities to reduce these negative effects and adapt to them.
Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General (ADG) for Natural Sciences at UNESCO commented:
“Cities are where the battle for sustainable development must be won. The new SDGs, particularly Goal 6 on access to water and sanitation services for all, can only be achieved with the involvement of the world largest cities. This is why the establishment of a platform for megacities to exchange experience and know-how on water-related issues is so essential today.”
The Alliances also announced a number of new adaptation projects, including the launch of a Euro-Mediterranean information platform on water or the future use of the SWOT satellite for hydrological observations of the earth.
Bertrand Camus, Coordinator of the Business Alliance for Water and Climate Change and Director General of SUEZ Water France said:
“In less than a year, the Business Alliance for Water and Climate Change has gathered more than 40 signatory organizations, including 30 global companies representing the 5 continents and a cumulative turnover of $680 billion dollars, around commitments to measure and reduce their water footprint; It has set itself the goal of achieving 100 signatories representing an annual turnover of $1,000 billion in 2018.”
The Alliance of the 357 signatories of the Paris Pact on water and adaptation to climate change in the basins of rivers, lakes and aquifers, in 94 Countries, was facilitated by INBO in partnership with UNECE.
The Alliance of Megacities for Water and Climate, facilitated by UNESCO, ICLEI, SIAAP and Arceau-IDF, brings together 16 Megacities for a total population of 300 million inhabitants.