Water and Ecosystems a Focus at Barcelona Climate Change Talks

We tend to think of climate change as an air pollution problem, or a threat to our atmosphere, but in fact water and especially watery ecosystems (wetlands, mangroves, mountainous cloud forests, and more) will play a major role in our ability to both curb climate change and to adapt to that change. 

Climate change will stress water resources placing the greatest burden on the world's most vulnerable people, already challenged by the simple act of getting a glass of safe drinking water.    NRDC's president Frances Beinecke explored climate change adaptation in the developing world in a radio broadcast today. 

At Water Day (held during Barcelona's Climate Change Talks) specialists in the areas of safe drinking water and sanitation, energy, gender, ecosystems and energy discussed how climate change impacts on water will impact these issues.  Moreover they explored tools and techniques to respond to the impacts of changes in hydrologic cycle.   You can hear all the recorded discussions by clicking on the link above.

The impacts of climate change on water will reduce both the quantity and quality of water available to drink.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a chapter on Water Resources in their 4th report which detailed the impacts of climate change on water:

• 1) The likelihood of water borne diseases will increase.
• 2) Floods and droughts will become more frequent, and storms more intense.
• 3) Water will be in shorter (and more erratic) supply.
• 4) Sea level rise will result in salt water intrusion in coastal areas decreasing available freshwater.
• 5) Dry areas will have even less available freshwater, yet rapidly growing populations in these regions need more water.
• 6) Water pollution will be worsened by higher water temperatures, increased precipitation, and longer dry periods.
• 7) Aquatic ecosystems will suffer changes in water availability and related extinctions of species sensitive to water temperature and availability.

On the final day in Barcelona a new version of the text shed some light on how a final Copenhagen agreement will consider water and ecosystems.  The newest text adaptation non-paper 53 (which combines the two most recent adaptation papers), includes key references that highlight the value of water and ecosystems:

• Within National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs) countries may include actions in and across different sectors, including agriculture and food security, water resources, health, ecosystems, coastal zones;  [Annex 1, page 28]
• Countries shall protect and sustainably managing natural resources and ecosystems, and the goods and services they provide, to facilitate adaptation; [paragraph 7, page 4]

The words in the text are most welcome, as recognition of the importance water and ecosystems as tools for resilience.  Yet the evolution of thinking will have to go beyond the language in the negotiating text.  When it comes to addressing the challenges of water and the changing climate we must come to understand that the old ways of doing business will not suffice.  We need new approaches, new assessment tools, new ways to engage everyone (especially vulnerable communities and women).  As a friend said in the sessions yesterday, 'rather than climate change, we should be talking about climate changing.'  Impacts and models continue to evolve and we should focus on being as nimble in our approaches and open to new ideas as possible. 

The discussion evolving here in Barcelona brings together the tools and principles of adaptive management, sustainable development and ecosystem based adaptation to address the threats of climate change.  Yet the concepts of adaptation can be simply understood as three key areas:

• 1) investing in the natural systems that sustain life (such as wetlands) and
• 2) ensuring that the services of those ecosystems (like safe drinking water and food) are accessible to all
• 3) learning from each success and failure and building those lessons into future actions

I look forward to seeing how the negotiators protect these principles as the negotiations continue in Copenhagen.