About the Water Safe Cities project
Amid increased urbanisation and the impacts of climate breakdown, cities face exponential growth in the risk of water-related climate hazards: floods, droughts and storms. Cities must also confront issues associated with water sanitation, such as a lack of safe and accessible drinking water, decreased water quality and water conflict.
These challenges have a significant impact on the health and well-being of communities and individuals, and on cities’ economic growth and development. It is a humanitarian crisis just as much as it is an environmental, social and economic one.
C40 established the Water Safe Cities project in collaboration with the Grundfos Foundation to sharpen the focus on water and climate change, and provide technical assistance to support cities in implementing water actions.
Narrative Explorer
By 2050, riverine flooding will directly impact more than 7.4 million people in C40 cities annually.
C40 cities will face surface water losses of more than 16.1 billion m3 a year, equivalent to the Sydney Harbour drying up 30 times over.
By 2050, more than 2,400 hospitals and healthcare facilities in C40 cities could be overwhelmed by flooding.
More than 300 energy generation facilities in C40 cities are at risk of flooding by 2050.