Arnt Diener

Arnt Diener is advisor for water safety planning and water quality surveillance at the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health. As an environmental scientist by training, he has led research and development projects in Europe, Southern/Central Asia and Western Africa. Arnt is specialized in risk management for water quality and scarcity, particularly in the context of rural development and climate change adaptation.

Climate change undermines access to safe water by threatening water security and water safety. The expected stress on the hydrological cycle, freshwater resources and water quality poses a danger to human health and development. Management of all water resources will need to be improved to ensure adequate provision and quality. The World Health Organization works with countries in responding to these challenges and has developed guidance on climate resilience for its water safety plan approach. The Protocol on Water and Health, which links sustainable water management with the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases in Europe, and puts increased focus on climate change resilience in its 2017–2019 programme of work. The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health Climate, located in Bonn (Germany), addresses threats to water availability and quality in the context of climate change adaptation. Adapting water supplies to one of the greatest health risks of the 21^st Century can reduce the burden of climate change on public health.