Water and climate

“This region suffered from extreme deforestation, so the impact of climate change was strongly felt, especially in the dry season. Join For Water, together with our community, planted tens of thousands of trees. Thanks to the trees, the soil stays moist longer and we can grow vegetables again.” - Jacques Antoine from Belladère in Haiti. © Dieter Telemans

When you say 'climate change', you say 'water': storms, floods, rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns, but also water scarcity and prolonged periods of droughts.

The countries of the South have been affected by climate change for many years. They are affected more severely and are much more vulnerable to its consequences. Join For Water and its partners are setting up more and more projects to make people more resilient to the consequences of climate change. These initiatives are very broad: we set up large water management plans, sow water-efficient crops, introduce sustainable irrigation techniques, but also plant trees in deforested areas, so that rain has time to penetrate the ground and stays in the ground longer. 

Battle for water

The more greenhouse gases we emit, the faster the earth warms up. For every 1°C rise in the temperature of the earth's surface, there is about 3% more evaporation. The consequences of which are: increasingly intense precipitation, increased major floods and hurricanes, but also increased and longer periods of drought (in other places or during other periods of the season). 

Our current patterns of production and consumption are still based on infinitely available resources. We have to realise that reality is different now. Time is of the essence. If we do not take far-reaching measures, invest in innovation and change our behaviour, the drying up of water sources, and a decline in drinking water quality will happen. The battle for drinking water will be fought at the cutting edge. 

According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is the ideal instrument to deal with the negative consequences of global warming. Join For Water has been applying the IWRM principles in all its projects for years. It is the management of water quantity and quality, of life in and around the water, the coordination of land and water management, taking into account all users, today and tomorrow.