12–15 February 2018, Heidelberg • SnowHydro 2018 – International Conference on Snow Hydrology. Snow is an important component of the hydrological cycle. The seasonal storage of water in the snowpack may last over months, and its retarded release is a major factor of reliable water supply for ecosystems and human needs during dry periods. Rapid snow melt can however cause destruction through sudden floods, mostly in combination with rainfall. Thus, water demanding downstream regions, settlements and infrastructures are highly vulnerable with regard to the presence or absence of snow in the headwaters. Increasing air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns driven by climate change will modify snow conditions and thus lead to changing water supplies. Snow cover is also a critical factor in global and regional energy balances. The consequences of reduced snow duration and an increasing share of rainfall on precipitation will completely change the land-atmosphere interactions and thus lead to further modifications of the regional climatic conditions.
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For the first time during a UNFCCC Conference of Parties a special day was devoted to action on water issues, as a way of providing solutions to help implement the Paris Agreement. Seven of the ten countries most threatened by climate change are in Africa. Water is the first sector through which the African population suffers from the impact of climate change — this is the case not only in Africa, but all around the world.
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Unnerved by the prospect of a parched Iran where internal and external conflicts on water resources would be unavoidable, Abbas Araqchi, who served as top nuclear negotiator with great powers, has called for a more active and creative hydro-politics. The average annual precipitation in Iran is nearly 220 millimeters, and has decreased by 10–15% over the past decade, according to Araqchi. Meager annual rainfalls, coupled with rapid population growth and sprawling cities, have put the geo-politically strategic Middle East country in a precarious situation, where the threat of water conflicts looms large.
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For almost a quarter of a century, UN deputy secretary general Jan Eliasson has been an indefatigable champion of the right to water and sanitation for all. »Politicians lack long-term planning«, he says. »They look at budgetary needs now but don’t see the larger picture. But they must look beyond their mandate periods. Ministers of finance should have responsibility for the long-term effects of public expenditure. [...] Water and sanitation cannot drop off the agenda now. There is such a commitment to it. You have the development community, the World Bank and the big development banks, but also the scientific and health communities along with civil society, and philanthropists all backing it.«
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With continuing growth of population and conflicts, we see also an increase in displacement. Increasingly linkages are made between displacement, migration, refugee flows and climate change, which is often linked to water-related problems. These nowadays almost automatic linkages with climate change do not always have a sound foundation, based on science, monitoring and real-world data. SIWI has just published a very good Working Paper, that is spot-on: »Water, migration and how they are interlinked«.
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On Friday 25 November 2016 the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance (SCELG) will be organising a half day event titled »Groundwater Governance Lost in Translation«. Groundwater governance will be discussed from a multidisciplinary perspective (international law, economics, international relations, development and hydrogeology). In addition we will have distinguished speakers providing insights about groundwater governance in California, Scotland, Uruguay and Malawi.
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Stockholm, 1 September 2016 • Today, during the World Water Week in Stockholm, Transboundary Water Management and the Climate Change Debate has been announced to be the International Water Resources Book of the Year 2015. After due consideration of more than 100 books about international hydrology and water resources, we are happy to announce that «Transboundary Water Management and the Climate Change Debate» has been awarded the title International Water Resources Book of the Year 2015.
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The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP), which is co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and some 30 other partners, has released a «Handbook of Drought Indicators and Indices».
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Global companies must take an active role in groundwater governance to avoid existential risks. That is the main conclusion of the CEO Briefing on Global Depletion of Aquifers. The exposure of multinational companies to depleting and degrading groundwater is increasing. The rapid depletion of aquifers is a systemic risk to one billion people in the world’s growing economies. Aquifers are shared across national borders and have the potential to spark conflict. Companies must act beyond their site operations and help improve groundwater governance if they are to ensure their sustainable growth.
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