With climate change intensifying water scarcity and disrupting agricultural productivity, ensuring that food systems can withstand water-related stresses is essential. This session aims to explore why water-food linkages are key to promoting both climate mitigation and adaptation, and how strengthened mainstreaming of water-food linkages in climate policies promotes achieving global climate resilience, the goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
November 19, 14:00 - 15:15
Agricultural production is the largest consumer of water globally, accounting for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. Therefore, sustainable water management is critical to food security. Conversely, sustainable water management is critical to food security. Without integrated approaches, efforts to address one system risk undermining the other. The impacts of climate change—such as erratic rainfall, heatwaves, and rising water scarcity—exacerbate food crises. Water resilience is critical for mitigating these risks. This event promotes a dialogue between key stakeholders from different sectors such as agriculture, water, health, energy, as well as civil society organizations, farmer organizations and others for cross-sectorial collaboration on the importance of water-resilient food systems for the future of the planet. The discussion will center on the urgent need to collectively integrate water management and food security into climate adaptation strategies through integrated and cross-sectorial approaches.
This session aims to explore why water-food linkages are key to promote climate resilience, share experiences from countries and international organizations on how to better promote integrated water resources management for food security to better use the synergies of water-food linkages and overcome trade-offs. The event also provides an opportunity for different sectors to engage with each other through a dialogue format, to strengthen concerted and aligned cross-sectorial actions and policy developments to enhance climate resilience through water for food systems.
Introduction (5 min):
Cross-sectoral panel on strengthening Water–Food Linkages for Climate-Resilient Food Systems
Policy and Governance Pathways for water-food linkages in climate action
Q&A (10 min)
Rap up
