Oral Presentations:
Mitigating climate change through WASH and WRM
Climate change mitigation is at the forefront of efforts to maintain global warming at or below 1.5°C, the scenario outlined by the IPCC as required to avoid significant risks to natural and human systems, and water has a key role to play in these efforts. Water resource management and WASH services will be a critical feature of our transition to net-zero climate emissions because global water use, storage and distribution, together with the lack of wastewater treatment, contribute 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Net-zero water resources and WASH should be considered a minimum, and technologies and processes need to be further explored to achieve net negative emissions. In addition, future financing of sustainable development, including development of water resources and WASH systems, will increasingly require these sectors to demonstrate clear and achievable pathways to net-zero climate emissions; failing to address this requirement may significantly reduce financing for sustainable development.
Although there are positive efforts toward climate mitigation, net-zero emissions and renewable energy by many water utilities in higher income countries, we need to progress similar commitments in low-middle income countries. Most WASH policy and practice to date has focused on climate adaptation, as described above, and there is important work for those involved in WRM and WASH to determine, communicate and act on the ways WASH and WRM mitigate and slow the rate of climate change.
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