World Water Day & climate change

The United Nations launched a flagship report which says that reducing both the impacts and drivers of climate change will require major shifts in the way we use and reuse the Earth’s limited water resources.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on World Water Day said, “everyone has a role to play,” and called on all stakeholders to increase climate action and invest in robust adaptation measures for water sustainability.

By limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius, he said, “the world will be in a much better position to manage and solve the water crisis that we all face.”

“Water is the primary medium through which we perceive the effects of climate disruption, from extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, to glacial melting, saltwater intrusion and sea level rise,” he said.

This will negatively affect health and productivity and act as a threat multiplier for instability and conflict.

“We must urgently scale up investments in healthy watersheds and water infrastructure, with dramatic improvements in the efficiency of water use, said Mr Guterres, adding that the world must anticipate and respond to climate risks at every level of water management.

In her message on the World Water Day, UNESCO chief Azoulay said that with four billion people worldwide forced to contend with water scarcity.

“Without sustainable access to water, we will be unable to achieve goals such as quality education or the development of more prosperous, fairer societies,” she said.

The 2020 Report, she said, sets out “concrete solutions for ensuring access to water for all: improved water resources management, the mitigation of water-related hazards, easier and more sustainable access to sanitation.”

Action to save the planet and its water will only be useful if future generations were fully involved, including through UNESCO member States incorporating issues related to environmental education in their school curricula.