Climate and water
Emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 have been the main cause of climate change over the past 50 years, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Climate change has greatly threatened biodiversity and water circulation worldwide, causing ecological and social problems. Approximately 2.3 billion people live in river basins under what is known as ‘water stress’, meaning their essential water supplies are at risk. Climate change is making water resources even more vulnerable and flooding is likely to become a more significant risk in many temperate and humid regions. This will affect infrastructures and safety. The Freshwater Species Population Index fell 29% between 1970 and 2003. This is the system that measures changes in populations of almost 200 species of freshwater birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Climate change impacts such as drought on freshwater ecosystems are likely to exacerbate this biodiversity loss. As a result, the world is beginning to focus on controlling the volume of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
Freshwater ecosystems support millions of lives. They provide an important resource that is highly vulnerable to the threats of climate change. In the past 30 years, species living in freshwater systems have decreased significantly. In addition, 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion people lack access to sanitation services, particularly in poorer countries.
WWF has joined forces with Earthwatch, The Climate Group, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and HSBC to form The HSBC Climate Partnership. This US$100 million project is working to reduce the impact of climate change on people and livelihoods by promoting action in some of the world’s major cities, including Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, New York and Shanghai. It is also working to protect major river basins from the effects of climate change, thus benefiting the 450 million people who rely on them.
The partnership will build on a former five-year collaboration, and includes programmes in Brazil, China, India and the UK.
Alongside our work in this partnership, WWF is also working in other river basins around the world - including the Ruaha in Tanzania, Kenya’s Lake Bogoria, and the Danube in Europe - to ensure strategies are in place that help communities and wildlife cope with a changing climate, and increased levels of drought and flood. We also strive to ensure that decisions relating to energy, infrastructure and irrigation policies do not adversely affect freshwater systems and the people and wildlife that depend on them.
