Climate change and water security

The Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly stated that climate change over the twenty-first century is projected to reduce renewable surface water and groundwater resources significantly in most dry subtropical regions, intensifying competition for water among sectors. 

Through the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), UNESCO provides a platform for scientific knowledge in order to contribute to the assessment and monitoring of changes in snow, glaciers and water resources as a result of climate change and climate variability.

Initiatives

Groundwater Resources and Climate - GRAPHIC
Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate

International cooperation forum on water to help megacities adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change

The Groundwater Youth Network

The Groundwater Youth Network (GWYN) is a youth led network aiming to provide a coordination mechanism between pre-existing youth organizations focused on water, and more specifically groundwater. 

Reports and publications

Water and Climate Change
UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme
2020

United Nations World Water Development Report 2020 (full report)

0000372985
Executive summary: Water and Climate Change
UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme
2020

Summary of the United Nations World Water Development Report 2020

0000372882
Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA): collaborative water resources planning for an uncertain future
Mendoza, Guillermo
UNESCO
Jeuken, Ad
Matthews, John
Stakhiv, Eugene
Kucharski, John
Gilroy, Kristin
International Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management
2018
UNESCO
0000265895
The Global Map of Groundwater Vulnerability to Floods and Droughts
German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources
2015
0000232431
The Andean glacier and water atlas: the impact of glacier retreat on water resources
Johansen, Kari Synnove
UNESCO
Alfthan, Björn
Baker, Elaine
Hesping, Malena
Schoolmeester, Tina
Verbist, Koen
Global Resource Information Data Base
2018
0000265810
Droughts in the Anthropocene
Gjerdi, Hanna Lønning
UNESCO
Gunn, Tobias
Mishra, Anil
Pulwarty, Roger S.
Sheffield, Justin
Global Resource Information Data Base
2019
UNESCO
0000371410
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Water, Megacities & Global Change
UNESCO
International Conference on Water, Megacities & Global Change
ARCEAU Île-de-France
2022
UNESCO
0000380319
Water quality from Space through satellite Earth Observation
UNESCO
2022
UNESCO
0000383336
Quantity and quality of water resources

Fresh water is the most important resource for humanity.

In many regions, changing precipitation or melting perennial snow and ice are altering hydrological systems, affecting the quantity and quality of water resources. 

Child drinking water from a tap