UAE–Belém work programme on the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience – lobby brief for climate-resilient water and sanitation
Water and sanitation must be included in discussions on climate adaptation. This lobby brief encourages policy makers to advocate for robust and ambitious indicators on water and sanitation in the Global Goal on Adaptation, and to recognise the cross-sectoral links between water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and the other targets.
The adoption of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) at COP28 last year was a landmark moment.
The GGA, which aims to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change, includes targets across four dimensional and seven thematic areas; one of these thematic targets – on resilient water supply and sanitation – firmly positions water and sanitation on the global adaptation agenda.
Launched to further realise the GGA, the UAE-Belém work programme is designed to enhance the detail and measurability of the thematic targets, bridging the gap between COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, and COP30 which will be hosted by Brazil in 2025.
WaterAid is involved in the UAE-Belém work programme and has contributed to two submissions to the UNFCCC to influence how it should be set up, and the indicators needed to measure progress towards the thematic targets:
- The joint UN-Water submission (PDF), coordinated by UNICEF and SWA
- The submission by the Center for Participatory Research and Development, Climate Justice Alliance and Network of WASH Networks in Bangladesh (PDF)
Developed from these two submissions and modified to highlight our expertise, this lobby brief presents our views on the UAE-Belém work programme. It is intended to be shared with national delegations to encourage them to advocate for robust and ambitious indicators for water and sanitation in the GGA, and to recognise the cross-sectoral links between water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and the other thematic targets.
The climate crisis is a water crisis, and water must be included in discussions about ensuring people can cope with the effects of climate change. We will be joining our partners and peers across the water sector at the Bonn Climate Change conference and other global climate negotiations to make sure that the severity of the water crisis is heard, loud and clear.
Top image: Rasheeda, 45, carries a bucket of stagnant floodwater next to her daughter, Shaista. They and their family were living in a tent at a roadside camp after devastating monsoon floods submerged their village in Johi Tehsil, Sindh, Pakistan, October 2022.
