From COP27 to the UN Water Conference | Linking water, food and climate

The journey to realizing zero hunger (SDG 2) is closely interlinked with water. Although water has been recognized as an enabler for transforming food systems, water is not yet pivotal (an organizing principle) in the design of our food systems.

With the UN 2023 Water Conference taking place in New York on 22-24 March, there is now the opportunity to jointly shape the Water Action Agenda for the coming years.

Action at the UN Water Conference

That is exactly why we initiated a side event on 'making water pivotal in food systems' during the United Nations Water Conference. The session will take place on Friday, March 24th, at 2:00 PM EST. The partners involved in the side event include representatives from governments, companies, knowledge institutes, and coalitions like SEEDNL and Clim-Eat. 

The shared goal is to define actions that drive transformational change toward water and food security.

Action at COP27

A recent session at COP27 shows the importance and complexity of integrating water into food systems. During the event, the CGIAR Asian Mega-Deltas Initiative (AMD) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) organized an interactive dialogue centered around discussing solution-oriented approaches that fit the complex food systems in Deltas. 

With the deltas serving as a food basket to over 170 million people, inaction or delayed action can have lasting effects on present and future generations. The session, therefore, involved representatives from governments, international research organizations, and academia who particularly focussed on the challenges (climate change, rising sea levels, and increasing soil salinity) as well as entry points for the necessary transitions in the Deltas. They indicated two important elements for this transition: coping with salinity and diversification of crop production for diverse and healthy diets.

• Download a summary of the COP27 session
• Watch the full live stream of the COP27 session

A broader look towards other complex situations

The Asian Mega Deltas are only one of the many complex situations where the linkages between water and food systems are of crucial importance.
During the Water Conference's side event, the discussion will, therefore, take a broader look at solutions that are applicable in other complex situations.