Join For Water participated in COP29 in Baku to further its mission of ensuring water remains central to global climate discussions. Director Bart Dewaele and Vanessa Thompson, a regional colleague from Kampala, represented the organization at a determining moment for climate policy and action.
Why COP matters for water
Water is the first of six focus areas in the Global Framework for Climate Resilience (GFCR), the practical extension of the Global Goal on Adaptation adopted at COP21 in 2015. The GFCR emphasizes developing indicators to measure progress, with over 5,000 proposed by governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders. These indicators will be refined and finalized for negotiation at COP30 in Brazil, and countries will be expected to report on their progress by 2030.
Join For Water will advocate for robust water indicators that emphasize sustainable management and adaptation. Active participation in preparatory meetings, like the technical conference in Bonn, will be key to influencing this process.
Funding for implementation
The GFCR also focuses on securing means of implementation, particularly funding for climate resilience. Developing countries argue that financing should primarily come from wealthy nations, aligning with the principle of loss and damage. However, rich countries, including Belgium, seemed not eager to linking GFCR financing to the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) fund, a major negotiation point at COP29.
Join For Water will not cease to push for transparent and equitable financing mechanisms that prioritize water-related adaptation projects in vulnerable regions.
Strengthening water in NDCs
At COP30, countries must submit updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outlining their climate commitments. While adaptation plans are not mandatory, many nations, especially those vulnerable to climate impacts, include them to secure international funding. However, only 7% of climate finance currently reaches Least Developed Countries (LDCs), partly due to underdeveloped adaptation sections in NDCs.
By January 2024, Join For Water, alongside partners aims to send letters to national governments urging for ambitious water-related goals in their NDCs. These letters will emphasize the importance of water in adaptation and call for adequate funding.
Looking ahead to COP30
COP30 in Brazil will be a decisive moment for water in climate policy. Join For Water plans to organize and participate in high-impact events, elevate partner voices, and secure funding for water projects. With the Amazon and global biodiversity on the agenda, Brazil presents an ideal opportunity to highlight the critical role of water in climate resilience.
By engaging in these global processes, Join For Water ensures water remains at the heart of climate action, driving tangible change for communities worldwide. Join us on this journey to Brazil, where together, we can advocate for a water and climate-resilient future!
Meeting with the Belgian representative to the EU
From left to right: Vanessa Thompson, Communications and External Relations Advisor for Africa; Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts, Founder of Climate Justice for Rosa vzw; Bart Dewaele, Director of Join For Water