The Water-Climate Nexus: Tackling the Growing Risk of Water-Related Crises

The prevalence and frequency of water scarcity is increasing dramatically, due to rapid population growth, increased demand from agriculture and industry and — critically — growing climate change impacts. Already, nearly 50% of the global population experience “severe water scarcity at least one month a year,” which means that water needs exceed availability. Unchecked, the world will see more frequent water-related crises that will negatively impact human lives and societies.  

Water management is essential to any effort aiming to successfully address the climate challenge. This means, among other things, maximizing water’s benefits for humanity and ecosystems and aggressively limiting the “destructive impacts of water to an acceptable level.” The “water-climate nexus” recognizes the linkages between water and climate, as well as other critical sectors, and identifies the need for a holistic management approach to support sustainable development. 

A new Insight Brief produced by the NDC Partnership Support Unit underscores the increasing importance water-related issues have in the efforts to implement ambitious climate action. A total of 50 developing countries (more than half requesting support through the NDC Partnership) have requested support on water-related issues, making up 10% of all requests for support. Most of these requests (70%) are adaptation-focused, falling primarily into the waste, agriculture and energy sectors.  

Water-related requests are under-supported when compared to wider support requests through the Partnership. The urgency and importance of water in climate action is compounded by the gaps in support countries face. Most of the requests for which countries are seeking support are for finance-intensive projects. This presents a challenge in that they often require high upfront costs and a high level of technical expertise, which can raise barriers to implementation and give development partners pause. Other gaps, including limited understanding of the linkages between water and mitigation efforts and barriers to long-term crosscutting investments, have further hindered support for effective implementation of water projects. 

NDCs 3.0, the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) due in 2025, present an opportunity to prioritize water among financing entities to meet the needs of the developing countries seeking their support. 

Read more about country priorities, challenges and future possibilities in the Insight Brief.