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. On 6 December, six other governments called upon the representatives of the 190 States present to account for their actions on the same subject.

80% of the people in the world live close to degraded watercourses, according to a U.S. study conducted jointly by researchers from the Universities of New York and Michigan. The researchers have crossed various “stressors” such as pollution, drought, and climate change, and have come to the inevitable conclusion: most rivers are threatened, as are the people who live near them and the ecosystems that depend on them. So for Charles Vörösmarty and Peter McIntyre, the two people in charge of the study, there are few places where biodiversity is preserved – and the countries in the North are no different.

The 27 EU environment ministers met on 14 June in Luxembourg to discuss three key challenges that lie ahead: how to manage and anticipate water shortages and droughts, how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and finally what programme should be adopted to protect European forests against climate change.

According to the UN Water Division, water has major potential for instigating cooperation between States. It must be integrated across the board in international negotiations, notably in addressing the challenges involved in climate change.

Given the urgency of climate change, the mobilisation of all players is essential. Within the Copenhagen Conference on climate, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has presented its contribution to international action to confront climate change through a “White Paper”.