Knowledge sharing at CoP23 strengthens resilience in climate change adaptation
The recently concluded CoP23 brought together key sectors to share best practices and lessons from around the world, instrumental in responding to the effects of climate change and accessing infrastructure financing of 255 billion euros a year.
“I believe and hope that water will become a resource for all converting it into a formidable force displaying our collective intelligence and solidarity,”said Charafat Afailal, Secretary of State for Water and Environment of Morocco.
Up to 70% of water is consumed by agriculture, compared to 20% by industry and 10% for domestic needs. The agricultural sector, through shared information, could follow best practices pioneered in unrelated areas by applying shared experiences and maximise usage efficiency.
“We would be wise to apply lessons from across the world, even traditional rural populations in Africa or Asia, which have the potential to inform innovative, sagacious and responsible resource management, to adapt our planet to climate variation’s onslaught,” explains Maggie White, Manager International Policies, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Co-Chair, Alliance for Global Water Adaption (AGWA) and Steering Committee Member of the ‘Climate Is Water Initiative.
“Some of the smartest applications of sustainable farming come from countries and regions such as the south of Morocco or Pakistan, to name just a few, which are naturally poor in access to water from rainfall and riverbeds”, comments James Dalton, Coordinator, Global Water Initiatives, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Loïc Fauchon, Honorary President of the World Water Council (WWC) indicated “innovative technical solutions are key to have better and cheaper solutions that drive global water security.”
He underscores that “the political obligation of cooperation on all levels in governance, financing and knowledge sharing, should translate into enhanced efficiency in optimized integrated water management, while applying it locally, in urban areas, nationally and internationally.
Additionally, this should be complimented by horizontal collaboration between all sectors, including the five main ones: water, energy, food, health and education.”
Water Infrastructure financing plays a crucial role in mitigating and adapting to adverse effects of climate change. To this end, procedures need to be simplified to access financing of 255 billion euros a year.
Transition towards combined knowledge on agriculture, energy and water is necessary to secure food and nutrition, to maximise sustainable energy models, and to alleviate water stress. This is the only real response to climate change that can ensure water, food and energy in a sustainable climate-resilient world by 2050.
