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Water is the linchpin of climate action at COP30; embedding water resilience into global adaptation goals is essential for equity, security, and sustainability
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This article is part of the essay series: "Expectations from COP30"
As COP30 convenes in Belém, Brazil, expectations are high that the summit will shift water from the peripheries of the climate discourse into the core of policy and finance decisions. Hosted within the Amazon, a critical freshwater and biodiversity epicentre, the conference amplifies the symbolic imperative that water is the medium through which mitigation, adaptation, and justice must be implemented. Already framed as the “COP of Implementation”, this convening presents an immense opportunity for translating rhetoric into action. Water was not a priority in the 2015 Paris Agreement, but over the past decade, there have been considerable shifts in mainstreaming climate policy and water resilience. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 Working Group II report has highlighted the centrality of water in climate adaptation, with the 2023 United Nations (UN) Water Conference following suit. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) framework for Global Climate Resilience was adopted during COP28, an integral part of which is the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and the UAE-Belem Work Programme, which focused on the implementation and tracking of the national commitments. Complementing these, the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action seeks to sustain momentum across COP cycles, ensuring that water-climate coherence becomes a structural reality rather than an episodic concern.
Already framed as the “COP of Implementation”, this convening presents an immense opportunity for translating rhetoric into action.
Despite these frameworks linking climate and water, the global water security remains fragmented. This is where the COP30 presents a historic opportunity to embed water and sanitation at the heart of international climate adaptation efforts. Article 7 of the Paris Agreement anchors the GGA, which aims to build adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change. Within the Agreement, adaptation identifies the link between mitigation ambition and adaptation needs, as well as the allocation of resources to support it. Water is central to climate adaptation and mitigation solutions, but current indicators under the GGA remain narrowly focused on infrastructure and service delivery. This limited approach overlooks systemic risks and the intricate interlinkages between water, ecosystems, and other sectors. Moreover, indicator development remains fragmented with data gaps and weak integration of implementation support. For example, the cryosphere, which is important for both water security and climate regulation, is critically underrepresented. The strategic integration of resilient water management into national climate planning can make the difference whether climate solutions deliver their intended benefits.
Despite these frameworks linking climate and water, the global water security remains fragmented.
COP30, therefore, marks a historic inflexion point, and the task ahead lies in strengthening the resilience of entire systems, of watersheds, cities, and communities alike. A decade since the Paris Agreement in 2015, the world now stands at a crossroads with the escalating and visible impacts of climate change, even as geopolitical tensions fracture the fabric of collective climate action. Amid this uncertainty, the operationalisation of the GGA offers a crucial test of global resolve. The implementation would require innovative methods of progress monitoring and integration of water into adaptation policy. The questions that arise are as follows: Can nations align their adaptation policies with the realities of water risk? Furthermore, will COP30 rise to the challenge of closing the growing resilience gap for billions who are already living on the brink of water insecurity? At COP30, water must be placed at the heart of climate action in the following ways:
GGA will be a defining agenda of COP 30. The operationalisation will hinge on developing a robust indicator framework to enable countries to align their national adaptation plans, mobilise finance, and strengthen data and capacity-building support for communities most vulnerable to climate risks. Under Target 9a, the number of initially compiled indicators under water supply and sanitation was 1,046, which was reduced to 10 in the final proposal. These must now be retained in the final GGA indicator framework. Indicators for transboundary water cooperation and cryosphere-related risks must also be prioritised because the cryosphere holds 70 percent of the world’s freshwater, supporting two billion people and approximately 60 percent of the freshwater flows through transboundary rivers, all of which face climatic risks. Despite its significance, only one indicator for the cryosphere has been included, and transboundary rivers are covered under basins.
COP30 marks the formal conclusion of the NDC 3.0 cycle. The current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) processes primarily view water as a sectoral co-benefit instead of a core planning axis. Only 16 percent of NDCs treat water, sanitation and hygiene as a high priority, and less than 2 percent of them address transboundary water cooperation. This is a critical juncture for COP30 to embed water-specific targets across national climate strategies with inclusive processes and dedicated finance. This may include targets for resilient drinking water systems, restoration of freshwater ecosystems, and integrated urban water management within NDCs and NAPs. Such mainstreaming would build coherence between adaptation and mitigation pathways, providing a basis for climate finance.
COP30 in Belém must mark a decisive turning point where water is reframed as the connective tissue of climate policy, GGA targets for water are adopted and implemented, and water is mainstreamed in the NDCs and NAPs.
COP30 must turn towards making global climate finance equitable and accessible. The current investments are inadequate, and an estimated gap of US$187–359 billion annually persists. The New Collective Quantified Goals established during COP29 must now be implemented, and there must be measurable allocations for WASH and water security. Public finance for nature-based solutions, concessional finance, and guarantees that de-risk private investment in resilient water infrastructure must be scaled up to avoid exacerbating debt burdens. There is a push for multi-stakeholder financing vehicles that combine public grants, concessional loans, and private capital while protecting equity and affordability for low-income users.
Alongside these, the COP30 deliberations must emphasise nature-based solutions (NbS) in advancing disaster mitigation and climate adaptation. This includes restoring catchments, reforestation, rejuvenating urban wetlands, building permeable surfaces, and reviving traditional water storage systems.
COP30 in Belém must mark a decisive turning point where water is reframed as the connective tissue of climate policy, GGA targets for water are adopted and implemented, and water is mainstreamed in the NDCs and NAPs. Water resilience indicators that are anchored within the UAE-Belem Work Programme must be standardised and integrated into the NAPs. Scaling up Basin-level approaches and embedding community-led governance must be scaled up to minimise climate risk. Investments must be directed towards building climate and hydrological data systems for adaptive and data-driven water resource management. In conclusion, water must be incorporated as a strategic lever for climate resilience, equity, and peace.
Soma Sarkar is an Associate Fellow with the Urban Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Soma Sarkar is an Associate Fellow with ORF’s Urban Studies Programme. Her research interests span the intersections of environment and development, urban studies, water governance, Water, ...
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