Climate forecasts crucial to water resources and poverty reduction – UN agency
September 2, 2008 by admin
Filed under World's Water
The chief of the United Nations meteorological agency today called for weather forecasts to play a greater role in planning for economic development and poverty reduction because of the impact climate change has on water resources.
Michel Jarraud, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), told the World Water Congress that the agricultural, energy, tourism and health sectors are among those most affected by the impact of climate change due to drought, deterioration in water quality, increased run-off and an increase in the salinization of ground water as a result of rising sea levels.
“Mainstreaming climate change in decision-making processes will therefore be central to all development and poverty alleviation efforts,” he said at the meeting, held in Montpellier, France.
Mr. Jarraud reminded attendees of the summit that six of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) relate to water resource management, and that severe flooding, drought and cyclones caused by climate change seriously obstruct efforts to meet the MDGs by 2015.
WMO has launched an appeal for funding to set up hydrological information systems that can provide timely, accurate and comprehensive water resources information and support economic development through better land and water resource strategy planning.
The growing demand for a diminishing water supply is among the challenges to resource management. One sixth of the world’s population, mostly in rural areas, on small islands, regions dependant on water from glaciers and snow melt, is adversely affected by the shortage of ground water.
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Source: UN News Centre
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How many more demonstrations that climate change is with us now do we need? The truth is that water is ONE part of the triage decisions on climate we are already making. Triage is applied in an emergency to allow the most globally beneficial use of inadequate resources. There will be severe climate disruptions, which will be left untreated because they will be recognized as able to recover autonomously. Selected climatically-induced emergencies where tax-payers’ money can reduce suffering will be funded. Last, and most sadly, there may be even situations where unlimited funds cannot reverse impacts and the limited funds are deemed better deployed on other projects. See http://www.climatechangetriage.net