Too Much and Too Little Water at the Front Line of Climate Change

The session will advance the recognition of too much and too little water as interconnected challenges at the frontline of climate change, positioning integrated water management and water-related disaster risk reduction as essential components of climate adaptation.

The longer-term objective is to keep water extremes and water-related disasters high on the UNFCCC COP agenda and strengthen their integration into adaptation planning, implementation, assessment and finance.

To this end, the session will:

• Elevate water extremes within the climate adaptation agenda by highlighting the interconnected risks of floods, droughts, changing seasonal water availability and other climate-related hydrological changes, and identifying opportunities to reflect these risks in the Global Goal on Adaptation and National Adaptation Plans.
• Promote integrated approaches to water-related disaster risk reduction and resilience that connect flood and drought management, climate-resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, source-to-sea approaches and locally led adaptation.
• Strengthen the link between science, early warning and action by showcasing how climate and hydrological information, Earth observation, forecasting and risk assessment can support anticipatory action, preparedness and long-term adaptation planning.
• Identify pathways for implementation and finance by exploring how governments, international organizations, scientific institutions and other stakeholders can translate commitments into practical measures, mobilize investment and address the needs of vulnerable communities.
• Generate actionable messages for the UNFCCC process that build on Interactive Dialogue C of the 2026 UN Water Conference and support continuity between global water and climate policy processes.