WATER ADAPTATION ADVOCACY PLATFORM
Placing Water at the Center
of Climate Adaptation
In the lead up to the UN 2023 Water Conference, taking place in New York from March 22-24, 2023, the Water Adaptation Community (WAC) launched the Water Adaptation Advocacy Platform to put forward recommendations and insights emerging from the experience of water practitioners across the globe, with the aim to advance thinking, engagement and action for water-centered climate adaptation.
Mainstreaming Water Adaptation: Presenting the Water Adaptation Community
Protecting Climate-Vulnerable Hotspots
75% OF ALL DISASTERS AND 60% OF ALL ADAPTATION SOLUTIONS ARE WATER-RELATED
Although climate change will have a global impact, some areas are more vulnerable to experiencing the negative effects of the climate crisis. With climate impacts accelerating, these hotspots will be hit the quickest and hardest and therefore also have the biggest potential for climate adaptation.
Water is life and it intersects with all aspects of sustainable development. Climate change manifests mainly through too little, too much and too polluted water, which affects human, economic and political development across the globe. As we approach the halfway point of the Water Action Decade, progress has slowed on water-related climate change adaptation targets. Despite its cross-sectorial significance in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), water lacks the visibility and prioritization required to embed the issue across climate adaptation strategies.
The UN 2023 Water Conference took place in New York from March 22-24, 2023. Aiming to accelerate implementation and create a global momentum that positively impacts and advances the challenges associated with water. The conference had a Water Action Agenda, which will outline all of the water-related voluntary commitments made to tackle water challenges.
The Water Adaptation Advocacy Platform presents a series of informative multimedia briefs drawn from Water Adaptation Community meetings, webinars and dialogues which offer policy and implementation recommendations to educate, mobilize and inspire engagement in the lead-up to and during the UN 2023 Water Conference and beyond. It also provides educational resources for connecting water management and climate adaptation. It is intended for individuals of all knowledge and expertise levels who wish to deepen their knowledge of the importance of water adaptation and how it can be utilized and applied to tackle the climate crisis.
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LEVERAGING WATER FOR ADAPTATION
Water and climate change are intrinsically linked.
Although climate change will have a global impact, some areas are more vulnerable to experiencing the negative effects of the climate crisis. Embedding inclusive water adaptation measures in national development plans and climate-related policies is crucial to mitigating climate risk.
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DELTA ADAPTATION: REACHING IMPACT AT SCALE
Deltas are one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: floods, droughts, storms and rising sea levels causing coastal flooding and saline intrusion into groundwater.
Significant investment in Delta adaptation efforts as well as the integration of a large-scale coordinated approach is crucial for effective adaptation and management of deltas.
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DRIVING RESILIENCE IN SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES
Climate change poses a significant threat to the survival and development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). despite collectively contributing to less than 1% of global emissions.
Their unique geography, small land areas, heavy dependence on natural resources and high exposure to risks mean that SIDS are on the front line of climate change and are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and sea-level rises.
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Below are additonal visual resources that narrow in on specific approaches and elements of adaptation.
INNOVATION, LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE FOR WATER RESOURCES
ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL WATER ADAPTATION
RESILIENT WATER-CLIMATE POLICIES
SCALING UP NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS (NBS) FOR ADAPTATION IN COASTAL AREAS
ADAPTATION IN DELTAS: GOOD PRACTICE AND REACHING ADAPTATION AT SCALE
CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURE
