With not a single mention of water in the outcome documents of COP13 or COP14, it is of vital importance that water issues be addressed in a manner that befits its importance. This is the reasoning behind the Global Public Policy Network on Water Management's 'Key Messages' for COP15, the result of extensive consultation with stakeholders, NGOs, community organisations, UN agencies and trade unions. The document provides estimates for climate change impacts on water resources around the world, with over 300 million extra people globally expected to face water stress and shortage by the 2020s. Water is at the heart of future climate change issues; not only is its consumption vital for human survival but the hydrological cycle itself stands to be considerably affected by climate change. Changed rainfall patterns, increased glacial melt, floods, drought and sea-level rise all risk significant danger to food production and water availability, thereby increasing social tension and conflict. Having water included in the COP15 text is critical in raising its profile and ensuring global political will. Messages are broken down into the following four areas.

Good governance – strengthen institutional capacity in order to integrate national, cross-sectoral adaptation plans, with water as a central theme. Communities must be included and empowered and mechanisms for cross-boundary cooperation on water policy strengthened.
Effective water resources management – utilise the Integrated Water Resources Management framework as well as methodologies for assessing water usage. The ecosystem must be regarded as an equal consideration, worthy of preservation and restoration.
Enhanced information, observation, monitoring and impact assessment – enhancing the capacity and availability of data and data collection is crucial. Systematic data gathering and analysis, both meteorological and social, will help mitigate against unforeseen risks of maladaption and help identify hotspots, areas of particular vulnerability to climate change that require greater levels of investment.
Fair and equitable finance. Extra funding must be new and additional to Official Development Assistance, and existing water management projects should mainstream climate change adaptation.