Nearly 50 countries sign Baku Declaration on Water for Climate Action at COP29

In the final day of its thematic agenda, the COP29 Presidency launched Water for Climate Action, part of its Action Agenda. This programme includes a declaration, so far endorsed by nearly 50 countries, which commits to taking integrated approaches to combat the causes and impacts of climate change on water basins, paving the way for greater regional and international cooperation.

It also calls for the integration of water-related mitigation and adaptation measures in national climate policies, including NDCs and NAPs. To support these efforts, signatories will work together to strengthen the generation of scientific evidence on the causes and impacts of climate change on water resources and water basins, including through data sharing and the creation of new basin-wide climate scenarios.

The declaration has been endorsed by prominent non-state actors, including WWF, Water.org & Water Equity, Stockholm International Water Institute and the Islamic Development Bank.

The Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action was also launched on Thursday in an event featuring high-level representatives from the European Union, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Moldova, the Netherlands, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The platform builds collaboration between COPs on water and its interplay with climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and desertification—ensuring this important topic stays on the climate agenda.

Commenting on the Water for Climate Action launch, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev said, “Water is the link that flows between the climate, biodiversity and desertification crises. By enhancing collaboration between countries and between COPs, the Water for Climate Action initiative will allow us to act on all three fronts.”

Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said: “As the impacts of the climate crisis become ever more extreme, it has never been more important for the world to manage freshwater ecosystems. The Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action launched today at COP29 will help strengthen water priorities within the global climate agenda. UNEP looks forward to working with Member States and the COP29 Presidency to drive this important agenda forward.”

The launch of the Water for Climate Action marks the end of the Presidency’s thematic day calendar, which brought together the Presidency, its partners and other actors to drive progress across climate change pillars and their intersecting topics.