By Zoe Talsma
This year, the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event brought together heads of state, climate experts and negotiators to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change, providing an opportunity for countries, international organisations and other delegates to assess global efforts to limit climate change, showcase climate action, highlight diverse climate change issues and share knowledge.
With this year’s conference not easily accessible to some of our Partners across Asia and the Pacific and to support regional engagement without the need to travel, the Australian Water Partnership worked with colleagues at Monash University and Alluvium to facilitate a virtual Indo-Pacific focussed Water and Climate Day as part of the official program in the Water for Climate Pavilion.
Featuring a series of sessions from the Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia, speakers from government ministries and NGO representatives shared key insights and messages relevant to the COP29 process. The sessions highlighted the interdependency of water and climate across the regions and how different approaches and frameworks are being adopted.
The day commenced with a look at the urgent need for climate financing for water security in the Pacific, as well as strategies and processes related to accessing finance for water resilience. A panel of women water experts from the Pacific highlighted everyday water access and resourcing challenges in rural and remote Pacific Island communities, sharing the work they do at a regional, national and community level.
“It was a great opportunity for representatives from the Pacific to articulate specific expectations and outcomes that regional partners seek from COP29, especially around climate finance, partnerships and knowledge transfer,” said AWP Pacific Coordinator Ala Blakelock.
Watch Climate Finance for Water Security: A Pacific Perspective
In Southeast Asia, the focus was on urban water resilience with a series of presentations moderated by Monash University. Speakers from environment and water ministries across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam focused on integrating climate adaptation strategies – particularly National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) – with urban water management.
While each country faces their own particular issues, the speakers identified common themes including the limited response to climate change effects in rapidly expanding Southeast Asian cities – either due to ageing, inadequate or non-existent infrastructure. Approaches to create resilience include integrating water management with urban planning, nature-based solutions, and community engagement, aiming for a multifunctional, adaptive, and sustainable urban water system.
“We need to work with communities in local areas, highlighting the importance of stakeholder analysis and meaningful participation,” said Monash University Nature-based Solutions Lead Katharine Cross.
“It is important that people understand the issues and are aware of the wide range of solutions including integration of nature as part of the urban fabric.”
Watch Urban Water Resilience in Southeast Asia – Policy to Practice
And in South Asia, Alluvium coordinated speakers representing regional organisations on Water, Communities and Climate Adaptation.
Presentations from this session highlighted the need for regional collaboration, reliable data generation and effective communication with stakeholders to enable informed and timely decision-making for building resilient urban environments and climate resilient cities.
With mountain nations highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, targeted and adaptive strategies are critical for these regions. South Asian case studies highlighted the value of spatial flood mitigation analysis in guiding impactful policy and planning interventions, and demonstrated that the cities face an urban heat-water nexus that calls for innovative, community-centred approaches to address the complex challenges.
“Throughout the presentations, it was demonstrated that there is a clear link between climate change, water scarcity, and disaster risks, emphasising the urgent need to manage extremes exacerbated by changes in the hydrological cycle,” said session coordinator Ms Tarika Gulati, Alluvium India.
Watch Water, Communities and Climate Adaptation in South Asia
And finally, the Indo-Pacific Water & Climate Day closed with a live cross to SIWI Swedish Water House Director Thomas Rebermark and Monash University Senior Director Matthew French on the ground at COP29 in Baku, providing insights into proceedings and relevant considerations for the water sector.
Watch the exclusive live cross to an update on the ground in Baku
Overall, the event provided valuable insights into the shared climate change impacts and issues faced across the region, and gave partners an opportunity to share their expectations and outcomes sought from COP29. AWP will continue to engage across the sector and seek opportunities to make water and climate events accessible to a wide audience in 2025.