Climate change: water evaporates from Copenhagen negotiations, say campaigners

Updated - Thursday 12 November 2009

Negotiations ahead of the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 are neglecting water, say campaigners. The latest draft of the negotiating text on adaptation, the so-called Non-Paper No. 31 [1], has deleted any clear references to water and its management as a vital consideration for climate change adaptation, they claim.

To make sure water is at the top of the climate agenda, governments, UN agencies, international NGOs and civil society advocates gathered at a “Water Day” event on 3 November 2009 at the Barcelona Climate Change Talks 2009. Participants at the Water Day drew particular attention to the following issues:

climate change impacts on water resources will affect livelihoods and development
climate change adaptation is not just a national issue (it involves regional cooperation in transboundary water management)
investing in ecosystems can help preserve water supplies
data, information and governance are key
climate change mitigation efforts involving hydropower and bio-energy must take water into account.

The Water Day was organised by the Global Public Policy Network on Water Management (GPPN), a joint partnership of Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future and the Stockholm International Water Institute.

[1] UNFCC (2009). Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action under the Convention. Non-paper No. 31. Download full paper [PDF file]

Related news:

Climate change: global conference says that water must be included in COP-15 negotiations, Source Weekly, 21 Sep 2009
Climate change: high adaptation costs for water sector, World Bank study says, Source Weekly, 16 Oct 2009

Related web sites:

Contact: Global Public Policy Network on Water Management (GPPN), contact page

Source: Astrid Zweynert, Reuters Alertnet, 03 Nov 2009 ; GWP, 03 Nov 2009