World Water Day 2011: 20 – 22 March, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

21 March 2011

Water and the Road to COP17

Water needs to be on the agenda at United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention Conference of the Parties 17 (UNFCCC COP17) was the clear message from sessions on the second day of the World Water Day 2011 celebrations taking place in Cape Town.

COP17 being held in Durban later this year, presents a good opportunity to further the water agenda as the South African Minister for Water is also the Minister for the Environment.

Anders Berntell, of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and the Water and Climate Coalition said:  “Water must be placed at the heart of global policy response to global climate change. Water is the blood stream of our planet. Without it life cannot continue,” he said. “Climate change is in effect water change.”

He outlined the short and longer term objectives of the coalition, these were: 
- Water must be on the agenda at the next SBSTA and other preparatory meetings, to ensure that recognition as an agenda item at COP17
- Water specialists must represented on the Adaption Framework Committee,
- Water has to have a proper place within the various funding mechanisms associated with climate change, and
- There should be a work programme focusing on water within the UNFCCC

Conservation International’s John Mathews said there was a gap between what negotiators say and what is actually happening from scientific view. He said the UNFCCC could do a lot of harm to sustainable development if it does not talk about water in a productive way. On the other hand it could be turned into a positive mechanism that could aid development and ensure a sustainable equitable future.

Mathews later said that Cancun was the first ‘Adaptation COP’ and that COP17 could become known as the Adaptation COP as well as the African Water COP.

Julia Bucknall, Sector Manager for Water, World Bank said that hydro power should be reclassified as a renewable energy. In conclusion she said there was a need to commit to better monitoring within the water sector. “There is a big gap around monitoring, it is not very expensive and it is not political, and it would make a powerful statement,” she said.

Water is not just a sector but rather an integral part of society and the environment, and risks and uncertainty will increase into the future, were the messages from the session titled On the Road to Rio +20 – Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk.

“Water is the life blood that affects all functions of society and the environment’, was also the main theme in the World Water Development Report 3. The session discussed the upcoming fourth edition of The United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR4) which would be launched during the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, France in March 2012.

The 4th report will seek to address water management under conditions of uncertainty and risk will be addressed through different perspectives including water for urban settlements, valuation, pollution and disasters and the need for accurate information – with proper links to sustainable development. 

“When exposed to increasing risk, we need to increase resilience.” said Berntell, a panellist in this session. 

Other panellists were Margaret Catley Carlson, United Nations Secretary Generals Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB); Mike Muller of the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme, Andre Dzikus from UNHABITAT, Jerome delli Priscoli from the World Water Council  and Alberto Tejada-Guibert of UNESCO.

Delli Priscoli said: “At present we are under investing in decreasing vulnerability” He said that a high level panel on water and disaster had stated the need to galvanise and mobilise before disaster strikes and prioritise systems to forecast, inform, alert and evacuate vulnerable communities.

Mike Muller said: “We need to understand the risks as they generate both threats and opportunities and impact on society and the economy.”

“We have the ability to adapt and change to these uncertain risks, however we need to assess risks in a more structured way,” he said.

“Vulnerability can be addressed and risk mitigated at local levels but it needs strong partnerships at the local level with community and local authorities and increased capacity building,” said Andre Dzikus.