Adaptation Action Coalition (Completed)
Health Workstream
Globally strengthening national climate plans through water management
Water is critical for climate adaptation and resilience
Our planet and society experience the impacts of climate change primarily through changes in the water cycle. Droughts, storms, and urban and coastal flooding occur with more frequency and higher intensity as the climate changes, and other impacts such as saltwater intrusion are increasing with unprecedented speed. This has severe consequences for health, food security and political stability. Low-income communities, already vulnerable to water supply threats, are likely to be the worst affected by the increased regularity and severity of these climate events.
Countries around the world are developing plans in response to climate change and to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement, such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAP). Yet these plans often overlook the strategic role of water in climate adaptation solutions.
Water is one of the best solutions to combat climate impacts and it is equally vital for climate adaptation. Water spans sectors and has the potential to enhance prosperity when there is robust, flexible and strategic planning across sectors. Climate actions including expanding climate-resilient irrigation; protecting and restoring wetlands; developing reliable water, sanitation, and hygiene services; and reducing the risk of flooding and drought are all directly related to water. Without considering the cross-sectoral nature of water, there is the risk of conflict, competition and outright maladaptation to the changing climate.
Water initiatives to deliver a climate resilient world
The AAC Water Workstream, led by the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), helped put water at the heart of national climate planning. Its goal was to strengthen countries’ national climate plans to make them more effective, coherent, and impactful.
In 2020, AGWA published the ‘Watering the NDCs’ report, which provides a set of recommendations for how water can play a key role in climate policies to strengthen climate change mitigation and adaptation goals.
Following this report, in 2021, AGWA launched the Water Tracker for National Climate Planning. This tool assesses water use, allocation and trade-offs across multiple sectors to ensure that water-related plans, policies and investments are robust, flexible and able to withstand the impacts of climate change.
Since its launch, the Water Tracker has been used in six countries, including Costa Rica, Malawi, and Egypt.
Water Champions
Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, the early findings from the Water Tracker enhanced national planning processes, building on existing work to improve adaptation efforts. The Tracker was used to evaluate the country’s national climate plans and the findings were presented to the Costa Rican government along with recommendations for improvements. As a result, the country prepared a series of national and sub-national workshops to review the feedback, looking at the role of water across energy, tourism and finance sectors.
Malawi
In Malawi, the Water Tracker was used to assess the country’s NDC and recently drafted National Water Policy. This provided insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the Malawian National Climate Change Planning Framework. The assessment was designed for broader application across this Framework, with a focus on stakeholder-led priorities.
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Cover image credit: UNDP Climate Flickr