Scientists, policy makers and stakeholders from various sectors discuss the diverse facets of water security and its relation to climate variability and change.

The availability of water affects many of humankind’s social and economic actions and is an essential component of ecosystems. Hence, water security is one of the major challenges faced by society today, on both a global and local level. Additionally, impacts of climate change and water-related hazards are increasingly decisive for food security, well-being, poverty, conflict or peace and have become a key component of social development.

Water security as well as climate change are cross-cutting elements of recent global agreements, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Science should and can play an important role in contributing to the achievement of these goals.

The Water Security and Climate Change conference (WSCC) strives to go beyond science and build bridges between various disciplines and sectors as well as different groups of stakeholders. Serving as a platform for discussions about water and food secure societies, by providing a stimulating environment with the intention of yielding innovative ideas and grounds for implementation, the WSCC is continuing a series of successful conferences in Thailand, Germany, Kenya and Mexico.

The WSCC is an initiative of the ‘Higher Education Excellence in Development Cooperation – exceed’ program, and has been implemented since 2016 under the auspices of the Centers for Natural Resources and Development (CNRD) and the Sustainable Water Management in Developing Countries (SWINDON) network. The scientific committee includes the Food Security Center (FSC) as well as the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).

In 2021, WSCC is convened by the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources (VAWR) in Hanoi. More information will soon be available.