Climate change: global conference says that water must be included in COP-15 negotiations

Updated - Monday 21 September 2009

The participants of the 2009 World Water Week in Stockholm urged that water must be included in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-15) negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009.

“Water is a fundamental element in economies, communities, and public health. We know that it is the medium through which climate change manifests its most serious effects. To be effective, climate negotiations must factor in the impact and importance of water for the world and, indeed, human well-being”, said Anders Berntell, Executive Director of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).

When Mr. Berntell presented the Stockholm Statement [1] on water, climate change and adaptation as a key outcome of World Water Week, the participants greeted it with a unanimous show of hands. The statement underlined that adaptation is a prerequisite for sustainable development and poverty reduction, and called for sharing of high-quality information and for additional funding.

IRC published news and video flashes from the World Water Week on its web site. Ghanaian journalist Harriette Naa Lamiley Bentil was flown in to bring in her local perspectives and share her daily highlights. SIWI, AKVO and IRC launched WaterCube.tv at Stockholm where they interviewed about 100 people including Stockholm Water Prize Winner Dr Bindishwar Pathak.

[1] Stockholm Statement

Related news: Climate change: a scapegoat for the world’s water woes?, Source Weekly, 28 Apr 2009

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Source: SIWI, 21 Aug 2009

Tags: information and communication, policies & legislation, water resources management