Context:

• The COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil (2025) marked a shift toward practical and measurable climate adaptation, emphasising accountability and systems that function under stress.
• A key focus was the integration of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) into global adaptation indicators, highlighting the central role of water in the climate–food–water nexus and its importance for countries like India.
• This article highlights how water has emerged as the central pillar of climate resilience, examining the Belém Adaptation Indicators from COP30 and assessing how India can strengthen climate adaptation through integrated water governance and policy alignment.

Water at the Centre of Climate Change Impacts

• Climate change is most directly experienced through water-related disruptions, including floods, droughts, glacial melt in the Himalayas, saline intrusion in coastal aquifers, and erratic monsoons that threaten food security and rural livelihoods.
• Agriculture contributes around 40% of anthropogenic methane emissions, largely from rice cultivation, livestock, and organic waste.
• Improving water-use efficiency, wastewater reuse, aquifer recharge, and climate-resilient sanitation has therefore become central to climate mitigation and adaptation.

Belém Adaptation Indicators and Water Governance

• The 59 Belém Adaptation Indicators, introduced under the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, establish measurable benchmarks for climate adaptation and emphasise the role of water systems in climate resilience.
• One key cluster of indicators aims to reduce water scarcity, improve resilience to floods and droughts, ensure universal access to safe drinking water, and upgrade sanitation systems to withstand extreme climate events.
• Another cluster highlights risk governance, including the creation of universal multi-hazard early warning systems by 2027, stronger hydrometeorological services, and updated national vulnerability assessments by 2030.
• The framework signals a shift from simply building infrastructure to ensuring that water and sanitation systems continue functioning effectively under intensifying climate stress.

India’s Water Governance and Climate Adaptation

• India is strengthening climate adaptation by building on existing frameworks.
• The creation of the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2019 and the Water Vision 2047 emphasise integrated water governance, sustainability, equity, and resilience.
• The National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM) Programme 2.0 has shifted from merely mapping aquifers to implementing aquifer-level management plans, translating scientific knowledge into practical water governance policies.
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has expanded beyond sewage treatment to include biodiversity restoration, digital monitoring, and international cooperation, positioning clean rivers as buffers against climate-related shocks.

Key Challenges Slowing Progress

• Persistent Water Scarcity - Water scarcity remains uneven across regions. Since most climate disasters in India are water-related, resilient WASH systems require climate stress testing of infrastructure, diversified water sources, and stronger service delivery systems.
• Fragile Adaptation Finance - Although global discussions propose mobilising $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate adaptation, funding pathways remain uncertain. Water projects need to be recognised and financed as core climate investments.
• Digital Fragmentation in Water Data - Despite extensive hydrological and meteorological datasets, AI-driven real-time integration of water data into planning and governance systems is still limited.

Aligning Global Targets with Domestic Missions

• Existing Missions Supporting Adaptation - India already has multiple programmes aligned with global adaptation goals, including drinking water access, sanitation expansion, irrigation efficiency, urban water reforms, and climate action plans.
• Integrating Data for Real-Time Decision-Making - The Belém framework emphasises convergence rather than new programmes. India’s digital public infrastructure offers an opportunity to integrate hydrological data, agricultural advisories, insurance, and financial systems for better climate decision-making.

Belém Indicators and the Future of Climate Adaptation

• A Framework for Climate Survival - The Belém Adaptation Indicators serve as a practical framework for measuring climate resilience, transforming adaptation from a broad policy goal into a structured and accountable development strategy.
• India’s Opportunity for Leadership - With ongoing water sector reforms, technological capabilities, and community-driven initiatives, India is well positioned to not only participate in global climate negotiations but also lead in implementing large-scale climate adaptation.
• Water as the Foundation of Climate Action - Effective climate action must place water at the centre of policy, ensuring that adaptation measures are rapid, equitable, and supported by strong technological systems.
• Measuring Resilience Through Functioning Systems - True resilience should be judged not by the amount of infrastructure built, but by how well essential systems continue to serve people during floods, droughts, and other climate shocks.
• Aligning Policy, Finance, and Metrics - To translate ambition into measurable resilience, India must align its policies, financial resources, and monitoring frameworks, enabling it to set an example for the Global South in climate adaptation and sustainable development.