Climate change and water security

Tore Furevik
Professor at the Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen, Director of Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, and the Centre for Climate Dynamics

We are living on the blue planet. Earth is the only known planet to have stable bodies of liquid water on its surface, essential for all life forms that we know. Each second, more than a million tons of water is lifted from the surface of the ocean and unevenly distributed over land, making some areas wet and others dry. After days or years, the water eventually returns to the ocean.

Climate change is perturbing this natural cycling of water, changing distribution and intensity at a rate unprecedented in human history. Some regions will see less rain and more droughts; others see more rain, flooding and landslides. Impacts of climate change on water- and food security will be dramatic, and for some regions likely beyond the adaptation limits for the natural and human systems.

In this lecture I will present the latest news on climate change and water cycle, and gradually zoom in on water security, an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A failure in the climate change mitigation and adaptation goals adopted in Paris last year, will make it very unlikely that we can ensure global access to reliable water and sanitation services for an increasing population.

This keynote is open to the public.