COP29: Climate Change Threatens Global Water Cycle, Millions at Risk

Azerbaijan, November 18, 2024: The 29th annual United Nations Climate Summit (COP29) commenced in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11, bringing together delegates from nearly 200 nations to address the worsening impacts of climate change on vital global systems. A key focus of discussions, which run until November 22, is the destabilization of the planet's water cycle due to rising global temperatures. This disruption has resulted in more frequent and severe floods and droughts, threatening the livelihoods of millions, especially in agriculture-dependent regions like India and China.

During an event titled “No Life Without Water,” held in Rome ahead of COP29, Professor Mariele Evers, UNESCO Chair in Human-Water Systems at the University of Bonn, emphasized the growing urgency for bold climate action. She described how global warming has made water supplies increasingly variable, exacerbating both droughts and floods. She pointed to extreme weather events, such as recent flooding in Valencia, as stark reminders of the crisis.

Professor Evers highlighted the dual challenges of overexploitation and pollution of water resources, driven by human activities like mining. “If these issues are not addressed,” she warned, “there won’t be enough water for the next generation,” leading to escalating hunger, migration, and societal instability.

Water, she explained, plays a critical role in both transmitting and mitigating climate change. Healthy ecosystems, including forests and wetlands, rely on water to act as carbon sinks, which helps offset greenhouse gas emissions. However, without urgent action to preserve these ecosystems, they risk becoming sources of carbon release, further accelerating the climate crisis.

COP29 delegates are also focusing on climate finance, a cornerstone of global climate action, as they seek to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement. The summit underscores the inextricable link between climate change and water, urging global leaders to prioritize sustainable water management to safeguard future generations.

Courtesy: Vatican News