Welcome to World Water week

We are just at the beginning but its just such an important experience that I really wouldn't have known about if it hadn't been for the FAO. I am in complete awe of what is happening and intrigued.

I am currently at "Enabling Effective Action: Adaptation across Political, Social, and Institutional Boundaries". It is really interesting listening to the German Ministry's perspective on Climate proofing in the planning process. Its short term higher cost and long term gains. It is refreshing to see a government that is willing to invest in the future rather than focusing on short term which tends to be the direction that short term grants forces projects in.

I had never considered that climate and hydrological regimes determine water availability, but institutions determine how water resources are managed. It is something that I took for granted but it wasn't something that I had thought to question. I am effected. Why haven't I thought about this before?

This session was thought provoking. Overcoming obstacles to respond sustainably to shifting climate regimes--a huge topic. We know (or should know) that climate change reduces certainty about our ability to balance energy, food, water, and ecological security. Water availability and timing are ultimately expressions of climate and hydrology and largely beyond our control. Yet we are having a adverse impact on it. Making the connection is not something that is recognised or internalised in our societies.

If we think about it logically, economic and population growth too are, in many ways, also beyond our influence. What we can control is how institutions function within shifting economic, climate, and hydrological conditions is within our control. True, its not in my personal control but our governments can impact this. Our experts should be able to impact this.

Water has not yet entered into political and development forums. I have been only involved with development for the last two years in an advocacy role. Until the FAO introducted the concept to me --I had not made the link between sustainability and green growth grounded in an awareness of the centrality of water. It is logical. It makes sense.

Adaptation is about governance, policy, science, finance and economics, and engineering. Todays seminar explored the fact that the need for action and often new kinds of action is obvious, but examples are rare.

It didn't answer the questions. But that is the never ending challenge. Developing best practices is a learning curve. Barriers are real and not going to shift overnight. Balance mitigation with adaptation appears (at least to me) an almost unsolvable problem. It is clear that we need to ensure that climate-sustainable frameworks are in place urgently. It was really interesting to listen to how governments and organisations are enabling effective action within organisations, across sectors and borders, and over multiple scales. You can watch the seminar for yourself below:

http://i.2degrees.info/CmpDoc/2008/4840/48641_world-water-week.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=2degrees&utm_campaign=host&dm_t=0,0,0,0,0