A climate summit in Turkey seems a long way off from a riverbank in western Uganda. Yet that is where the story begins that Join For Water is taking to COP31 in Antalya.
On the banks of the Mpanga – the river that flows from the Rwenzori Mountains past Fort Portal to Lake George – farmers, fishermen and local residents are gathered round a board game. It is called the Mpan’game. On the game board lies their own river: the marshes that retain water, the banks damaged by livestock, the spots where rubbish accumulates.
Those who play the game contribute ideas for solutions. It is not a government department making top-down decisions, but people who make their living from the river and decide together what needs to be done first.
It’s a small snapshot. But it sums up what climate adaptation is really about.
Does it actually make a difference?
Why would a water organisation with limited resources travel to a climate summit in Antalya? We’re sometimes asked that question. Climate summits are big, expensive and often excruciatingly slow.
Our answer centres on equity and funding. Because in Antalya, decisions are being made that will shape how the world will soon assess whether countries are better able to adapt to climate change. What isn’t reflected in international climate targets also risks being overlooked when it comes to funding.
What counts as climate adaptation?
Last year, at COP30 in Belém, a set of 59 voluntary indicators was adopted to measure how countries are adapting to climate change. Water is given its own place within this framework. However, the indicators are still the subject of debate. Their further elaboration is on the agenda for COP31.
That may seem technical, but the consequences are very concrete.
If we measure climate adaptation solely on the basis of new taps, pipes or other infrastructure, much important work remains unseen. Think of restored wetlands that retain water, communities protecting their rivers, or local water committees making joint decisions on management.
It is precisely these efforts that make people and ecosystems more resilient to droughts and floods. They deserve recognition in climate policy as well as access to funding.
At previous climate summits, Join For Water also advocated for water and healthy ecosystems to be given a fully-fledged place in international climate policy. Discussions on how countries measure their progress are not yet concluded. In Antalya, we therefore want to go a step further: to ensure that the experiences of local communities also find their way into national adaptation plans and international agreements.
