World Water Day

World Water Development Report 2020 ‘Water and Climate Change’

  • World Water Day

The 2020 edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR 2020) entitled ‘Water and Climate Change’ helps the water community to tackle the challenges of climate change and informs the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.

WWDR 2020 describes both the challenges and opportunities created by climate change, and provides potential responses that can be undertaken by enhancing water resources management. Key messages are:

  • Climate change challenges the sustainability of water resources, which are already under severe pressure in many regions of the world, and amplifies water-related extremes including floods and droughts.
  • Water is the ‘climate connector’ that allows for greater collaboration and coordination across the majority of targets for sustainable development (2030 Agenda and its SDGs), climate change (Paris Agreement) and disaster risk reduction (Sendai Framework).
  • While the need to address climate change through water is well recognised, this is not being translated into concrete action. Climate funds offer a great opportunity to provide additional financing for water.

Download the report here: https://en.unesco.org/news/world-water-development-report-2020-water-and-climate-change.