Long left on the sidelines of climate talks (the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change -UNFCCC- refers to water management only once), the water issue is now a central concern for several states on every continent. Indeed, during the Conference of the United Nations (UN) on Climate Change in Cancun (Mexico), several states took action to ensure that greater attention was given to the water issue in the discussions.

On 2 December, the Foreign Ministers of the Green Group drew the attention of the participants to the link between climate change and water, and to the importance of better management of water resources in order to reduce the impact of climate change.  In a joint statement, the informal forum of foreign ministers representing Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Iceland, Singapore, Slovenia and United Arab Emirates, recalled that the most drastic consequences of climate change will affect the natural cycles of water. A further difficulty, as pointed out by the States in question, is that water is unevenly distributed around the planet. The situation of these States also illustrates this problem: Costa Rica, Iceland and Slovenia have abundant supplies of water, while Cape Verde and the UAE are facing a shortage, and that Singapore has limited fresh water reserve areas despite the heavy rain it receives.

In parallel to the declaration of the Green Group, on 6 December, six other states (Ecuador, Sudan, Syria, Chile, El Salvador and Sierra Leone) called upon the representatives of the 190 States present to account for their actions on the same subject. They advocated that the issue of water be incorporated into the agenda for the next meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). A major body in climate discussions, the SBSTA provides input about various scientific, technological, and methodological viewpoints that can be debated at international conferences. The SBSTA also serves as a link between the scientific information provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the parties present at the Conference.

Tarsicio Granizo, representing Ecuador, said that climate change will primarily affect water resources, thus requiring a rapid, appropriate response. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), water is in fact the first element to be affected by climate change and to be felt by people and the environment alike.
The Water and Climate Coalition, which consists of twelve international organisations and research centres specialised in the field of water, welcomed the common position of the six States, which it characterised as a "breakthrough".

More 

• Read the article on Environmental Expert.com, 12/06/10 "Countries call for water to be addressed in the climate negotiations"
• Visit the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Paris, Joint Declaration of the Green Group
• Visit the website of Stockholm Water Institute (SIWI) – 12/06/10 "Countries Call for Water to be Addressed in the Climate Negotiations"