Where water and climate change meet
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This week, the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, or COP21, will gather countries that want to take action for the climate. A central topic of these discussions will focus on the intersection of water and climate change.
Combating climate change is everyone’s business. Reducing emissions and investing in renewable energy, improving city planning and building design standards, developing more efficient transportation, and reducing deforestation (among others) all play key roles in mitigating the effects of climate change. At the same time, countries, and industries, will also need to adapt to changes in the climate as they unfold. Since climate change will significantly increase the variability of rainfall, different parts of the world will become more vulnerable to floods or droughts.
“Water scarcity and variability pose significant risks to all economic activities, including food and energy production, manufacturing and infrastructure development,“ said Laura Tuck, World Bank Group Vice President for Sustainable Development during a recent press conference at COP21. “Poor water management can exacerbate the effects of climate change on economic growth, but if water is managed well it can go a long way to neutralizing the negative impacts.”
Managing water variability — including its nexus with food and energy — is becoming one of the key development challenges facing the world today. Helping the poor adapt to this changing future is everyone’s business.
“Water is so fundamental to life and to economic development, and it’s vital we tackle these issues particularly in the developing world, where ,” said Junaid Ahmad, Senior Director for Water, World Bank Group.Climate change may worsen the situation by increasing water stress and extreme-weather events. Hence, the water and climate nexus can no longer be put aside. This week and beyond, water security must be central to climate discussions for the very reasons outlined below:
Photo credit: Markus Kostner / World Bank
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Photo credit: Thomas Sennett / World Bank
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Photo credit: Farhana Asnap / World Bank
Photo credit: Curt Carnemark / World Bank
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people, industries, ecosystems, and growing economies. Climate change will add more uncertainty through increased water variability and more frequent and severe floods and droughts.
Photo credit: Dana Smillie / World Bank
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Related links:
Water Blog: Why it's time to elevate groundwater
Water Blog: How can we ensure that we build water and climate resilient cities?
Water Blog: Transboundary water cooperation helps build climate resilience
Thirsty Energy: Securing Energy in a Water-Constrained World
the rate of evaporation varies a great deal, depending on temperature and relative humidity, which impacts the amount of water available to replenish groundwater supplies. The combination of shorter duration but more intense rainfall (meaning more runoff and less infiltration) combined with increased evapotranspiration (the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the earth's land surface to atmosphere) and increased irrigation is expected to lead to groundwater depletion (Konikow and Kendy 2005).
Indeed, combating climate change is everyone's business, and should be a joint effort. However, there must be a global acceptance that there are those who bear more of both historical and recurrent responsibility towards climate change. With this acceptance, should be a clear assignment of responsibility towards ensuring that there is reversal of such effect. In this article, there is a clear statement on need for water sector to adapt, yet very little effort is made at the climate talks, COP 21, to elevate the reality that many communities across the world need to do exactly that. For the water sector, and the development sphere to be able to cope with the impact of a continually changing climate, adaptation must be at the core of any agreement reached in Paris.