The Resilience Revolution: How Climate Change is Driving Water

The UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science hosted this talk, which was delivered by Dr John Matthews, Executive Director of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA). John co-founded AGWA in 2010 and has led the development of a variety of climate risk reduction methodologies that have been used in dozens of countries, prepared green bond criteria that have certified over $15 billion in water resilience investments across six continents, and advised well over 100 countries on their national climate commitments. 

Talk Summary

Media coverage of climate change impacts and trends has long tended towards discouraging if not apocalyptic narratives. Relatively little coverage has occurred of any significant trends in adaptation and resilience, or how freshwater resource knowledge has begun to emerge as an essential solution. The emerging dialogue between climate science and policy on one side and freshwater governance, management, and investment on the other is profound, positive, and actionable. John spoke about water resilience as a new concept and paradigm, how the water and climate change communities are already shifting, and where we might be headed.