Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the scale of the threat to global security as a result of restricted access to water due to climate change; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to ensure that essential water resources are protected.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest report is clear that the effects of climate change have not been felt equally across the world, and this trend will continue. Water scarcity is one of the ways people are most likely to experience climate change. Our latest assessments can be found on the Knowledge For Development Water Learning Journey website (K4D Learning Journey on Water Security (ids.ac.uk)). They show that water can be a risk or threat multiplier for conflict and instability, and a trigger for conflict at the local level. Water shortages can compound existing fragilities and social stressors making conflict or migration more likely.

The UK recognises the importance of ensuring that countries most vulnerable to climate change can respond to the risks they face, including those related to water. We are supporting a number of initiatives that help to improve water security and from a range of angles including policy and regulation, investment, and water footprints.

For instance last week we launched the 'Al Murunah' project in the Middle East and North Africa region, the world's most water-scarce region. The project aims to increase water security through the integration of resilient nature-based solutions.

The UK also funds the Transboundary Water Programme, supporting countries in southern Africa to manage their shared water resources (rivers, lakes and groundwater) for economic development and contribute to climate resilience and poverty reduction.

In addition, we are funding the development and piloting of the new 'Water Tracker', led by the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, which is being used by developing country governments to integrate water resilience within their national climate plans.