Water is the key resource of our world. Societies, economies and all natural systems depend on the availability and the quality of water. Climate change and unsustainable use pose a threat and bring scientific and societal challenges to tackle in the coming years. Water extremes, such as drought and flood, are intensifying while complex events are emerging. These extremes are characterised by high risk as they can affect all economic and financial systems, the functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide, and trigger propagating cascading effects and shocks. Unsustainable use of and dependency on water resources is deteriorating further these fast-evolving conditions and the risks they bring.
Addressing water resilience needs an innovative systemic approach building on novel scientific evidence and data, societal engagement and policy actions. This session will bring together panelists from all these different areas to discuss the complexity of the topic, bring in the recent outcome of international efforts (e.g. Drought+10 Resilience Conference and the UNCCD Cop16) and shed light on possible path to a resilient future