Water is an integral part of the global climate agenda
Freshwater resources are increasingly under pressure from rising societal demands, environmental degradation and climate change.
“Water is not just a victim of climate change but it is also a vital solution. Water is at the heart of achieving many Sustainable Development Goals. Without water there is no sustainable development,” said COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev (source: https://wmo.int/media/news/water-integral-part-of-global-climate-agend)
COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev also added “that the Caspian Sea — the world’s largest inland water body and an integral part of Azerbaijan’s national identity and economy — is shrinking, alongside the degradation of biodiversity. This is an alarming prospect.”
The Baku Dialogue declaration resolves to:
- promote dialogue and partnerships among countries at international, regional, river and basin levels,
- strengthen the generation of scientific evidence on the causes and impacts of climate change on water resources, water basins and water-related ecosystems,
- enhance water-related climate policy actions.
WMO’s State of Global Water Resources reports show that the water cycle is spinning out of control, becoming more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme.
Freshwater resources are increasingly under pressure from rising societal demands, environmental degradation and climate change.
“2023 was the driest for rivers globally in more than three decades of records. Almost half of the planet experienced lower than normal annual river flows. The world’s glaciers experienced their largest mass loss in almost fifty years of record-keeping. This is a worrying omen for future water security for billions of people,” WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett told the high-level event.
“Water is at the heart of the international disaster risk reduction agenda and the Early Warnings for All initiative. This is essential, given that water-related hazards are the leading cause of human and economic losses in many countries,” she said.
Water is vital for climate change mitigation as a key enabler of greenhouse gas emission reductions. Water supports renewables like biofuels, hydropower, and is needed for cooling of low-emission power plants. Finally, water is essential for hydrogen and for producing minerals vital for battery technology.
“This makes the necessary green energy transition a thirsty business and is why we need integrated water and climate policies,” said Ko Barrett.
