Beyond Water – Climate Change and Sanitation

Basic Sanitation is one of the essential pillars for the quality of life of communities. It involves access to clean water, adequate wastewater treatment and safe sanitation facilities.

However, what many may not realize is that Basic Sanitation goes beyond water… it has an influence on climate change, directly linked to the emission of greenhouse gases.

UN warning: planet Earth could heat up by 2.6ºC 

The rise in temperature was announced by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), which issued the report on actions against the climate crisis. 

The researchers' assessment points out that despite advances since the Paris Agreement, the planet is not moving towards limiting warming. If we do not accelerate actions, the planet is heading towards a 2.6ºC warming of the average temperature in relation to the Pre-Industrial period.

The Paris Agreement sets the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC, the maximum value to avoid serious environmental and social impacts. Reducing gas emissions is one of the most important pillars to make the goal a reality.

The report also points out that the world needs to cut 43% of greenhouse gases by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5ºC.

The role of Sanitation in the face of climate change

Changes in climate patterns can result in unpredictable and extreme events, such as prolonged droughts or intense rains, directly affecting water resources. The reality is that these events not only can happen, but they already happen…we cannot forget the Amazon Drought in 2023.

The role of Sanitation in relation to the climate change we are experiencing is essential. An effective sanitation system helps ensure continuous access to drinking water, reducing the risk of shortages.

Not to mention that efficient waste management and wastewater treatment can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane and carbon dioxide. 

Investing in resilient infrastructure, technologies that reduce water losses, and monitoring systems that contribute to optimizing water distribution are important not only to face current challenges, but also strengthen the community in the face of climate change that is already occurring. 

Let us always remember a phrase that Ban Ki-moon said during COP-21:  

“There is no plan B, because there is no planet B. There are millions of stars, but, until now, human beings have not been able to discover another planet; this is the only one where we have oxygen, water and technology.”