Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) are the climate plans submitted by each country ahead of the COP21 Conference, detailing their proposed domestic actions to reduce carbon pollution and adapt to climate change.
In total, the French Water Partnership reviewed 158 INDCs and found that three out of four mentioned the need to adapt to climate change by changing how water resources are managed, used, or developed. Other than agriculture or health, water was the main priority for climate adaptation, and actions all fall within 3 categories: infrastructure, data collection, and policy changes.
Countries in Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America were the most detailed in their water adaptation plans but the report notes that the depth of the commitments varies. According to Melisa Cran of the French Water Partnership, countries like Bolivia, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Laos, Moldova and Morocco precisely detailed their actions, whereas around 30 countries merely noted water as a priority for action but did not specify the actions they want to implement.
Morocco has pledged to decrease groundwater use by 85 million cubic meters of water per annum and to source water from lakes and rivers instead. It also aims to quadruple the amount of farmland using drip irrigation by 2020. The aims for 2030 include desalinating 285 million cubic meters of drinking water per year, building 38 dams, and treating 100% of its wastewater.
Saudi Arabia lists water management as a top priority for adapting to a warming planet and for reducing carbon pollution yet did not specify any methods of doing this, which is worrying seeing that Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s top per-capita carbon polluters, ahead of even the United States, thanks to the amount of oil, natural gas production and fossil fuel resources it burns annually to desalinate seawater that only provides 25% of the total water needs.
The INDCs are a good thing, but they are merely the first step in addressing the necessary climate adaptation steps. Hopefully together with the Paris Pact, these countries will make the difference that is needed.
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