Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa water, Sanitation Mar- Apr 2015 Vol.10 No.2 | Página 15

Climate Change
pressing issues in the region, and seek to achieve sustainable
development through inclusive economic growth.

rural producer associations, financial cooperatives and
unions.

In Ethiopia, rural women lag behind in access to land
property, economic opportunities, justice system and
financial assets. Female farmers perform up to 75 per
cent of farm labour and yet hold only 18.7 per cent of
agricultural land in the country.

To conclude, we are looking forward to making a significant
impact in the coming years with the hope to meet the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.

We are taking a multifaceted approach to generate gendersensitive agricultural extension services, support the creation
of cooperatives, promote the expansion of women-owned
agribusiness and increase rural women’s participation in

About the Author
Paloma Duran is Director of the Sustainable Development Goals
Fund (SDG Fund).
Source: IPS

The Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources

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T

he relationship between water, energy, agriculture
and climate is a significant one. More and more, that
relationship is falling out of balance jeopardizing food, water
and energy security. Climate change is a phenomenon we
can no longer deny as its effects have become increasingly
evident worldwide. On the list of warmest years on record,
almost every year since 1992 is included and, according to
NASA and NOAA data, 2012 was the hottest.
As the earth’s temperature continues to rise, we can expect
a significant impact on our fresh water supplies with the
potential for devastating effects on these resources. As
temperatures increase, evaporation increases, sometimes
resulting in droughts. As of 2013, the U.S. has been
experiencing one of the most severe, multi-state, multi-year
droughts in decades.
In addition, rising temperatures are melting glacial ice at
an unprecedented rate. Glaciers are an important source
of freshwater worldwide, and some, like those at Glacier
National Park, are in danger of disappearing within the 21st
century. Once these glaciers have melted away, they can’t
be restored. Areas that previously depended on glaciers for
freshwater will then have to seek other sources.
More than 50 percent of the world’s freshwater comes from
mountain runoff and snowmelt.
Complicating this potential outcome is the prediction that
in a warmer environment, more precipitation will occur
as rain rather than snow. Although more rain than snow
may seem like a plus, it could mean more frequent water
shortages. When snow and ice collect on mountaintops,
water is released slowly into reservoirs as it melts throughout

the spring and summer. When rain falls, reservoirs fill
quickly to capacity in the winter, which can also result in
excess water runoff that can’t be stored. Because rain flows
faster than melting snow, higher levels of soil moisture and
groundwater recharge are less likely to occur. Areas that
rely on snowmelt as their primary freshwater source could
increasingly experience water shortages, like having low
water supplies by summer’s end.
The relationship between climate change and water doesn’t
end there. The systems used to treat and move public water
supplies require large amounts of energy, produced mainly
by burning coal, natural gas, oil and other fossil fuels. So,
when we use water we also use energy and contribute to
climate change. In addition, bottled water is a small but
real contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, because it
takes fuel to make plastic bottles and ship them around the
country (and even the world). This is unnecessary when you
consider that bottled water is often just filtered tap water.
There’s a lot we can do to reduce emissions, prevent climate
change and protect our threatened freshwater sources. Using
less energy is a great place to start. This can be done by
turning off lights, better insulating our homes to conserve
heat and air conditioning, driving more fuel efficient cars
and driving less. Cars and light trucks (like vans and SUVs)
are responsible for about 20 percent of U.S. energy-related
carbon emissions. In addition, eating lower on the food
chain, even going meatless just one day a week can have
a significant impact on environmental resources because
industrial meat production has significant greenhouse gas
emissions associated with it.
Conserving water, food and other resources is an important
step towards reducing overall energy use, because most
everything that is made, transported and thrown away
requires the use of fuel and water. By carpooling, using
public transportation, driving less, and reducin