The Global Water Partnership (GWP) has expressed deep concern over the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events worldwide, exacerbated by climate change and inadequate water management systems.
Recent floods in Europe have displaced thousands, while North America, Canada and the United States have witnessed record rainfall, leading to devastating floods. Meanwhile, Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Indonesia, has been grappling with severe flooding, crippling infrastructure and affecting millions. In the last eight months, global economic damages from these floods alone may have, according to one estimate, already exceeded $100 billion.
Alongside flooding, other regions are simultaneously battling severe droughts and wildfires, further straining resources and compounding disaster recovery efforts. Latin America, especially Brazil and Argentina, has been hit by a dual crisis of drought and fires, with wildfires raging across the Amazon and drought affecting agricultural production.
In Brazil, the drought in the southern regions has decimated crops, contributing to enormous damages. Argentina has faced similar challenges, with ongoing fires and droughts severely impacting its agricultural sector and causing damaging losses.
Africa is also reeling from simultaneous disasters, with countries like Kenya and Ethiopia suffering from prolonged droughts, threatening food security for millions of people. These droughts, paired with floods in other areas, highlight the devastating effects of climate change. In North America, Canada’s wildfire season, exacerbated by dry conditions and heatwaves, has displaced thousands of people from their homes. Similarly, wildfires in the United States have caused billions in damages.
In a statement issued by its Steering Committee on Friday, September 20, 2024, and made available to EnviroNews, GWP emphasises that while climate change is a driving factor behind these disasters, ineffective water and land management practices are significantly compounding the problem. From poor drainage systems to inadequate forest management, human mismanagement is worsening the impact of these disasters, making it clear that Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is essential to building resilience and ensuring water security.
According to the organisation, IWRM offers a holistic approach to managing water resources, balancing social, economic, and environmental needs while ensuring equitable water allocation, disaster preparedness, and recovery strategies. Without such an integrated approach, communities will continue to face recurring floods, droughts, and fires with devastating consequences.
GWP also stresses the importance of data-driven decision-making in managing these water-related crises. Advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and predictive modelling must be employed to anticipate and mitigate the effects of floods, droughts, and fires.
“In addition, democratising stakeholder engagement and involving the masses in these management processes are key to ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of water resource strategies,” it adds.
GWP urges governments, businesses, and communities to prioritise IWRM and take immediate action to address water-related disasters.
Collaboration across sectors, data-driven planning, and investments in sustainable infrastructure are essential steps to enhance resilience and ensure water security for all, it submits, adding that, with climate change accelerating the frequency and intensity of both floods and fires, the time for unified global action is now.
“Only through comprehensive water and land management, combined with the active involvement of all stakeholders, can we ensure a future where communities are safeguarded from the impacts of these dual crises. The time to act is now,” adds the GWP.
The Steering Committee of the GWP comprises Pablo Bereciartua (Chair), Nchedi Sophia Maphokga-Moripe (Vice Chair), Yamileth Astorga Espeleta, Ndey Sireng J Bakurin, Paulette Bynoe, Angel Cárdenas Sosa, Christopher A. Ilagan, Roula Majdalani, Atem S. Ramsundersingh, Adrian Sym, Carolina Tornesi MacKinnon, Jorge Werneck Lima, Jing Xu and Abdoulaye Sene.
