strategy

How Was Water Included in the Climate Agenda of COP 28?

The COP 28 Presidency's Food, Agriculture and Water Day on 10 December brought to the fore a number of new partnerships and initiatives, as well as some of the UAE's financial commitments to address water-related challenges.

Climate conference COP 28 has ended after two weeks of intense negotiations. What was the meaning of the conference in terms of water and climate?

Experts attending the conference were of the view that support for water and climate at COP28 was positive from the beginning, as the presidency once again highlighted the critical role of water for climate action.

Approximately 150 water-related events took place at the conference, apart from those held in the water for climate pavilion. Experts from water communities who watched the conference are of the opinion that “compared to the past, there are much more water discussions all over the COP.

The World Climate Action Summit Presidential Session on Water brought together heads of government and state around water action.

Another positive sign for water and climate at COP28 was that the water community met in a more strategic and outward-looking manner than before. The Water for Climate Pavilion collectively brought together 63 partners to offer ever more important tools for advocacy and dissemination of knowledge

Water on the climate agenda

It was seen at the conference that the negotiation process was very intense and as a result, water was included in both the Global Stocktaking (GST) and the Global Cohesion Goal (GGA) results.

The Global Stocktake assessed overall progress on climate action over the past seven years. While acknowledging that progress had been made, it also signaled that we were significantly off the 1.5°C temperature increase target. What is important for water and climate is that the Global Stocktaking outcome recognizes in its introduction the critical role of water systems and water-related ecosystems. In doing so, the GST appeared to be following precedents set by the COP27 cap decision, which recognized for the first time the role of freshwater in climate action.

What is important here in terms of water and climate is that the Global Stocktaking outcome recognizes in its foreword the critical role of water systems and water-related ecosystems.

One of the highlights of the conference was the adoption of the Global Adaptation Goal (GGA) framework, eight years after the decision to establish a global adaptation goal. The GGA is intended to guide climate adaptation worldwide to strengthen climate resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. As a result, water is mentioned as the first thematic target of this framework. Experts explain this situation as follows: “When it comes to adaptation to Climate Change, the first thing countries should look at is water. "It is accepted that water is at the center of GGA and climate adaptation."

Swedish International Water Institute (SIWI) Water and Sanitation Department Director Dr. Alejandro Jiménez explains his thoughts on the adoption of the GGA Framework:

"We see this framework as a transformative milestone that will provide specific, measurable targets and guidelines for planetary adaptation planning and financing. The GGA promotes the use of human rights-based approaches and supports the development of diverse communities, including girls, women, people with disabilities, indigenous groups, among others." "We are particularly pleased to see its focus on the most vulnerable and excluded. We also appreciate GGA's emphasis on early warning systems and disaster risk reduction, ecosystem protection, including the use of nature-based solutions, and the protection of inland water, mountain, marine and coastal ecosystems."

Relationship Between Wetlands and Water Cycle

Wetlands, including rivers, lakes and peatlands, are at the forefront of the climate crisis. These are important parts of the earth's natural carbon cycle and are crucial in helping us both adapt to and mitigate climate change. For example, although peatlands cover only 3% of our planet's land, they store nearly twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined. Along shallow coastal waters, modest seagrass meadows are estimated to be 40 times more efficient at capturing organic carbon than terrestrial forests. Conversely, loss and degradation of wetlands results in the release of stored soil carbon. Approximately 4% of anthropogenic emissions currently come from degraded peatlands alone; this is equal to the combined emissions of the aviation and shipping industries.

These freshwater ecosystems also provide almost all of the world's freshwater and play a crucial role in water purification, water storage, flood control and groundwater recharge. Physical, biological and chemical processes in rivers (through sedimentation, microorganisms and sunlight) help filter pollutants from the water. It acts as a natural reservoir that stores water from various sources such as lakes, rivers, streams, and rainfall. Peatlands and other wetlands act as buffers, absorbing excess water during floods and slowly releasing it during droughts.

In fact, wetlands are of such central importance in the world's water cycle that it can be said that a world without wetlands would be a world without fresh water.

But current approaches to water do not help countries meet climate, nature or sustainable development goals. The protection and restoration of wetland ecosystems is not adequately integrated into cross-sectoral national policies and legislation. As a result, rivers, lakes and other wetlands are still inadequately protected and ignored. Their rapid loss (because they are faster than other ecosystems and have very wide biodiversity) further increases the sometimes devastating effects of climate change.

Global Harmony Goal and Water

It was stated at the conference that in this process, integrated approaches such as Water Management from Source to Sea, as well as holistic management between systems, are of critical importance. For example, the main outcome of the conference is that moving away from fossil fuels will mean an exponential increase in renewable energy, some of which will be heavily dependent on water for production.

Therefore, to be truly sustainable, energy production plans must also anticipate the water demands and water uses of other sectors, especially in water-limited regions. Since climate change is primarily felt through water, water-related adaptation targets are crucial for the Global Adaptation Goal (GGA) to be successful. is important

How Was Water Addressed at COP 28?

As a result, it can be said that the COP 28 Presidency considers water as one of the priority areas of this conference. The UAE also announced a broad water agenda at the 2023 World Water Week. During COP28, water was discussed and discussed in three thematic priority areas: protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems, urban water resilience and drought-resistant food systems.

Water resistant food systems discussed at COP 28; It includes a call to action encouraging integrated approaches to managing the food and water systems of all countries, especially in the context of national climate planning (Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans).

The high-level ministerial meeting on the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems held on December 10 was aimed at advancing the Freshwater Challenge launched at the 2023 UN Water Conference held in New York in March. This event was initially launched by Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ecuador, Mexico and Zambia.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund are providing the necessary support to preserve intact freshwater ecosystems and restore 300,000 km2 of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030.

The aim of this initiative towards the Convention on Biological Diversity is to ultimately ensure the participation of 30 countries in the fight and integrate these commitments into national climate plans.

Climate crisis and water relationship consequences left over from COP 28

Key points to remember from COP28 regarding the water and climate crisis are listed below;

• The climate crisis is primarily a water crisis, and climate action will not be successful unless we prioritize a “water safe” world.

• Water is at the heart of adaptation, but it is also key to carbon emissions reduction. The water sector is responsible for 2% of global carbon emissions, similar to the shipping industry.

• Water is an important enabler of the circular economy.

• A safe, sustainable and resilient water system is not just an option, it is the primary way forward.