The proposal was put forward by Ecuador and Sudan, and supported by Chile, El Salvador, Sierra Leone and Syria. This is the first time that countries have called for water to put on the global climate agenda, and should be seen as a major achievement.
Yet the work does not stop here. Though the Chair suggested that he would take into account the proposals raised by Parties in the development of the agenda for the SBSTA in June 2011, there are no guarantees that this will happen. In order to ensure that a discussion on water is on the table for June, those Parties who raised and supported the proposal will need to liaise directly with the Chair in the coming weeks. Those Parties who are supportive of the proposal but were not able to present in the closing session should also forward their support for an agenda item on water to the SBSTA Chair.
As Parties consider whether they will support the proposal, it is important that they take into account a number of points. Firstly, water is not a sector, but a cross-cutting natural resource upon which all other sectors and human activities depend. Many of the issues being addressed under the Convention, including forestry, land-use, renewable energy and disaster risk reduction all depend upon water for their long-term sustainability. Therefore Parties should not consider water as being ‘just another sector’ which adds complexity to the climate change agenda. On the contrary, a consideration of water could enhance the success of many of the Conventions objectives.
Secondly, adaptation is essentially about water management – building resilience though good water management that balances water across competing demands and prioritises water for basic human needs and ecosystem functions; as well as responding effectively to water-induced hazards such as droughts and floods. Having a conversation about adaptation without talking about water management is fundamentally incomplete.
Lastly, our global interdependencies are woven through water. It is a fallacy to suggest that water is merely a local or national issue. Water resources transcend national boundaries and climate change impacts on transboundary waters will demand a new paradigm of regional and international cooperation. Importantly, global trade in food and other essential products for development depends upon water availability in producing regions – climate-related interruptions to the water cycle upon which this production depends could have potentially devastating global consequences.
It is therefore critical that Parties embrace this issue openly and constructively, and begin conversations on how water issues could be addressed within the Convention. The Water and Climate Coalition has put forward suggestions on the possible elements of a work programme to enhance focus and coordinate efforts on water related issues. The proposed work programme on water would include: a Discourse element, to advance the global policy discourse on water and climate at a global level; a Principles element, to establish guiding and normative global principles on water and climate; a Finance element, to provide expert advice on water and climate priorities to the Convention funds; an Implementation element, to build capacity for the implementation of water and climate objectives globally; and a Coherence element, to promote synergies between and advance implementation of other multilateral agreements that build resilience through water.
These are possible functions of a work programme that Parties may wish to consider, but ultimately it will be up to countries to bring issues to the table and define priorities relating to water and climate. Elaborating the scope and focus of a work programme first requires a space for dialogue and discussion. Putting water on the SBSTA agenda provides the space to have that conversation.
The Water and Climate Coalition is an international coalition of organisations working to put water at the heart of global policy responses to climate change. More information on its publications and advocacy can be found at www.waterclimatecoalition.org