Asks for the COP: More Water, Please!
08/12/09 04:06
Much of the practice of creating climate resilient, sustainable water management is already well known and described in policy statements such as the Dublin Principles of 1992, The Hague Ministerial Declaration on Water Security of 2002, the Brisbane Declaration of 2007, the Nairobi Statement on Land and Water Management for Adaptation to Climate Change of 2009, and the Stockholm Message to Copenhagen of 2009. I stand proudly with these documents and their authors. A comprehensive international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the rate of climate change is essential. But as we approach international efforts to reduce the negative impacts of climate change, especially the COP15, I ask negotiators and policymakers to focus their efforts on climate adaptation on these principles:
Water is a thread that ties together all humans. Water is not simply a “sector” and should be privileged as a theme. Agriculture, cities, industries, energy generation, and livelihoods all depend on water. Many religions integrate rivers, wetlands, and lakes as sacred connections. Conservation, development and economic growth groups must be united around the pursuit of sustainable management and utilization of our water resources and work together with scientists to address the practical issues of our time.
Adapting to climate change will largely require implementation of existing and emerging practices of good water management. While the challenge of climate change requires us to adopt important new perspectives, the majority of responses will be drawn from currently known and evolving policies and approaches. Addressing existing unsustainable utilization of, and impacts on, water resources will be central to the adaptation challenge.
Adapting to climate change should not be seen as an isolated activity. The most significant impacts of climate change will occur where these impacts combine with the immense pressures being placed on freshwater systems by rapid social and economic development. A successful response will require these challenges to be addressed together.
Information and strategies to develop practical tools for effective vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation plans must be made widely available. Lessons, tools, and science-based approaches to sustainable development must be made accessible. Also key to information sharing is building robust national, transnational, and local monitoring networks that can define trends in ecosystems, livelihoods, and target species, as well as provide early alerts to crises such as droughts and floods.
Economic development must be grounded in sustainable and climate-resilient management of ecosystems. Land and water must also be managed at water basin scales.
Environmental flows are a critical aspect of building climate resilience for freshwater ecosystems and their services. The problem of climate change and water is not simply water supply and demand; it is also water quality and flow regime. Flow regimes must be maintained as the master variable of freshwater ecosystems, even in highly managed basins.
Water infrastructure must be planned and managed to maintain or restore ecosystem function. Ideally, freshwater infrastructure will reinforce environmental flows and build ecological resilience, becoming an instrument for climate adaptation.
Good governance is critical to implementing both sound water management and the equitable allocation of freshwater resources, especially in regions where poverty, gender, race, religion, or ethnicity are used as a basis for discrimination of access.
Effective climate adaptation includes managing ecosystems more holistically by creating resilient resource management institutions and policies. Unlike ecosystems, few human institutions have ever endured a significant shift in climate. The threats and challenges from climate change are not simply within ecosystems and individuals; institutions must also embody the ability to maintain flexibility.
Sufficient funding and economic support must be allocated to climate adaptation for humans and wild species. The bulk of this funding will need to be directed into strengthening existing and emerging water management policies and institutions rather than the through creation of new or parallel institutions. This funding must include resources from the developed economies.
Adapting to climate change will largely require implementation of existing and emerging practices of good water management. While the challenge of climate change requires us to adopt important new perspectives, the majority of responses will be drawn from currently known and evolving policies and approaches. Addressing existing unsustainable utilization of, and impacts on, water resources will be central to the adaptation challenge.
Adapting to climate change should not be seen as an isolated activity. The most significant impacts of climate change will occur where these impacts combine with the immense pressures being placed on freshwater systems by rapid social and economic development. A successful response will require these challenges to be addressed together.
Information and strategies to develop practical tools for effective vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation plans must be made widely available. Lessons, tools, and science-based approaches to sustainable development must be made accessible. Also key to information sharing is building robust national, transnational, and local monitoring networks that can define trends in ecosystems, livelihoods, and target species, as well as provide early alerts to crises such as droughts and floods.
Economic development must be grounded in sustainable and climate-resilient management of ecosystems. Land and water must also be managed at water basin scales.
Environmental flows are a critical aspect of building climate resilience for freshwater ecosystems and their services. The problem of climate change and water is not simply water supply and demand; it is also water quality and flow regime. Flow regimes must be maintained as the master variable of freshwater ecosystems, even in highly managed basins.
Water infrastructure must be planned and managed to maintain or restore ecosystem function. Ideally, freshwater infrastructure will reinforce environmental flows and build ecological resilience, becoming an instrument for climate adaptation.
Good governance is critical to implementing both sound water management and the equitable allocation of freshwater resources, especially in regions where poverty, gender, race, religion, or ethnicity are used as a basis for discrimination of access.
Effective climate adaptation includes managing ecosystems more holistically by creating resilient resource management institutions and policies. Unlike ecosystems, few human institutions have ever endured a significant shift in climate. The threats and challenges from climate change are not simply within ecosystems and individuals; institutions must also embody the ability to maintain flexibility.
Sufficient funding and economic support must be allocated to climate adaptation for humans and wild species. The bulk of this funding will need to be directed into strengthening existing and emerging water management policies and institutions rather than the through creation of new or parallel institutions. This funding must include resources from the developed economies.
blog comments powered by Disqus
