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of the next cycle of the International
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was
also formulated.
The ocean community closed off
COP21 with an event for all stakeholder
groups that had presented their expertise
and insights in the various ocean-related
events during the Conference, hosted
by the IOC, the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Global
Ocean Forum and the Ocean and Climate
Platform. In the process of drawing
their first conclusions, the participants
focused on some of the efforts that had
been made to highlight the link between
ocean and climate change issues. They
placed emphasis on the need to move
forward on an ocean-climate strategic
agenda that fosters partnerships among
all stakeholder groups, and that places
due importance on the need for a strong
A new seminal WWAP book
on transboundary water governance
For rivers, lakes and aquifers that cross international boundaries,
the inherent nature of climate change means that international law
needs to be able to deal with the tension between the preservation
of the status quo, and the flexibility needed to meet new demands
and face new uncertainties. Various strategies can be employed
to enhance the flexibility of water governance arrangements.
COP21 saw the launch of a new book from WWAP, Transboundary
Water Governance and Climate Change Adaptation: International
Law, Policy Guidelines and Best Practice Application. It explores the
role of water governance in a transboundary context, identifying
best practices and effective policy guidelines, and ascertains
the contribution that international law can make. The book will
benefit policy-makers, researchers, civil society and others who
are interested in examining how transboundary water governance
arrangements can be strengthened to better address climate change
adaptation needs.
knowledge base for policy-making. The
Paris Agreement adopted on 12 December
highlights the role of the ocean in its
preamble part and makes reference to
‘sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases’,
‘research’, ‘systematic observations’, and
‘early warning systems’, which all bear
on IOC-UNESCO activities, mandate, core
functions and strategic frameworks.
Water security
Evidence of the impact of climate
change on the earth’s hydrological cycle
is mounting in many regions of the world.
UNESCO supports scientific networking in
order to contribute to the assessment and
monitoring of changes in water resources
as a result of climate change. It has
helped to raise the awareness of policymakers
at the national, regional and
international levels. UNESCO dedicated
an entire day of COP21 (2 December)
to water security and climate change,
through eight thematic sessions.
‘Water and Climate Day at COP21’ brought
together representatives from the
International Hydrological Programme
(IHP), World Water Assessment
Programme (WWAP), UNESCO-IHE
Institute for Water Education, water
centres and chairs of water-related bodies
to discuss water and climate-related
issues and solutions, and to share details
of projects for coping with water-related
climate change impacts. The themes of
the sessions included groundwater, water
in schools, data tools and methodologies,
water quality, transboundary water
governance, capacity development
and cooperation.
From 1 to 4 December, UNESCO hosted an
international conference on ‘Water, Megacities
and Global Changes’. Its organizers included
ARCEAU-IdF (a group of water stakeholders
from the metropolitan region of Paris), UNESCO-
IHP, the French Academy of Water (Académie
de l’eau) and the International Office for Water
(Office international de l’eau). By 2025 more
than a billion people will be living in about 100
megacities, each with more than 10 million
people. Achieving water security is a major
challenge especially in the context of climate
change, and such large conglomerations are
particularly vulnerable to water-related risks.
Researchers, water service providers for large
cities, politicians and representatives of leading
civil society organizations took stock of current
knowledge, shared innovative experiences, and
discussed the role of water and the variety of
approaches for its management in existing and
emerging megacities.