+ Fr 24.01.2025, Online, WBGU, 11 - 13 Uhr: Water in a heated world +

Presentation and discussion of the latest report of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)

January 24th 2025, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm CET

National and international water policy must adapt to ongoing, accelerated changes in the global water cycle and respond to them swiftly and comprehensively. These and other key findings of the report “Water in a heated world” will be presented. A panel discussion will address possible pathways for political action and climate-adapted water planning.

Programme

Presentation of the report “Water in a heated world”

Prof Jörg Drewes, German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), Technical University of Munich

Panel discussion

Prof Akica Bahri, Former Minister of Water Resources, Tunis

Prof Martina Angela Caretta, Lund University; Coordinating Lead Author of the 6th IPCC Assessment Report (2022).

Prof Anna-Katharina Hornidge, German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) and German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Bonn

Prof Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director, International Water Association, London

Moderator: Maike Voss, Head of Neues Handeln, Berlin/Cologne

++ The event will be recorded for online documentation ++

Launch event topics to be discussed

National and international water policy must adapt to ongoing, accelerated changes in the global water cycle and respond to them swiftly and comprehensively. This is the key message of the WBGU report entitled 'Water in a heated World'. Water emergencies beyond the scope of previous experience are becoming more frequent worldwide. The effects of climate change, the overexploitation of water resources, the unequal distribution of water, the loss of ecosystem services, growing widespread pollution and related health risks are increasingly resulting in regional water emergencies. This development is characterized by a loss of stationarity and therefore increasing planning uncertainty. Recent examples include the declaration of a water emergency in São Paulo, Brazil due to extreme drought conditions, large-scale catastrophic flooding events such as those which occurred a few weeks ago in Eastern and Southern Europe or Northern Africa or severe flooding that submerged one third of Pakistan in 2022. The WBGU expect such regional water emergencies to occur to a greater extent, longer lasting, and more and more frequently. This is a pattern arising in many regions representing a threat with a global dimension. In extreme cases, situations emerge that are beyond the limits of controllability. They can lead to the destabilization of political, societal and ecological systems. Climate-change mitigation, the protection of ecosystems and a climate-resilient, socially balanced water management are the most important measures for preventing water emergencies. How water policy, water planning and societies worldwide should deal with these challenges – this report provides answers.