Vatten: water. Climate change = water change.
Vatten: water.
This week is World Water Week. 3,500 of my closest friends from around the world are here to discuss water: flood, drought, sanitation, drinking water, inclusion, governance, engaging with stakeholders, restoring instream flows, climate change.
A changing climate is showing up as changing water regimes: hotter air holds more moisture... more floods, but also more droughts as weather patterns become stuck. In the last few years, mega cities like Sao Paulo, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; and Chennai, India have come close to or literally have run out of water.
Climate change is water change. What's the new normal? Nothing like what the past has looked like. It makes for challenging times. Curious to know more? Look at Circle of Blue: https://www.circleofblue.org/.
And yet there is a lot of discussion of hope, of solutions, of people coming together to find solutions, of the financial world waking up and taking notice. I've pulled together a panel for later this week of all women who have done some aspect of facilitation, mediation-- bringing stakeholders to work together to manage local water challenges. I'm super excited to have this conversation with people, in part to learn more about what others around the world are doing.
I'm also excited to hear that the financial focus on environmental and sustainable investment is shifting quickly: the limit isn't on funding, but projects ready to go. Insurance companies, rating companies like Standard & Poor's, banks, retirement funds-- are all starting to focus on climate impacts. For example, S&P is starting to down rate communities for failure to adapt and provide better ratings for communities that are taking action.
There are lots of cool stories where individual actions have started to make a difference: in local communities, with mayors, with businesses, and even with countries. Inspiring to see people working hard on these questions and to talk with students who are passionate about this space too.
In the meantime, a few pretty pictures of Stockholm City Hall where the Stockholm International Water Institute & the City of Stockholm hosted a reception tonight.
This week is World Water Week. 3,500 of my closest friends from around the world are here to discuss water: flood, drought, sanitation, drinking water, inclusion, governance, engaging with stakeholders, restoring instream flows, climate change.
A changing climate is showing up as changing water regimes: hotter air holds more moisture... more floods, but also more droughts as weather patterns become stuck. In the last few years, mega cities like Sao Paulo, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; and Chennai, India have come close to or literally have run out of water.
Climate change is water change. What's the new normal? Nothing like what the past has looked like. It makes for challenging times. Curious to know more? Look at Circle of Blue: https://www.circleofblue.org/.
And yet there is a lot of discussion of hope, of solutions, of people coming together to find solutions, of the financial world waking up and taking notice. I've pulled together a panel for later this week of all women who have done some aspect of facilitation, mediation-- bringing stakeholders to work together to manage local water challenges. I'm super excited to have this conversation with people, in part to learn more about what others around the world are doing.
I'm also excited to hear that the financial focus on environmental and sustainable investment is shifting quickly: the limit isn't on funding, but projects ready to go. Insurance companies, rating companies like Standard & Poor's, banks, retirement funds-- are all starting to focus on climate impacts. For example, S&P is starting to down rate communities for failure to adapt and provide better ratings for communities that are taking action.
There are lots of cool stories where individual actions have started to make a difference: in local communities, with mayors, with businesses, and even with countries. Inspiring to see people working hard on these questions and to talk with students who are passionate about this space too.
In the meantime, a few pretty pictures of Stockholm City Hall where the Stockholm International Water Institute & the City of Stockholm hosted a reception tonight.
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