Using trillions of taxpayers money to subsidize fossil fuels and other polluting industries is “wrong” and should instead be used to fund climate adaptation projects, according to the Netherlands’ special envoy for water.
While many governments have cut their aid budgets, Meike van Ginneken told Devex there is “actually quite a lot of public finance” which could be used to fund global water projects, which she described as critical to helping adjust societies to the effects of climate change.
“Climate adaptation is water,” she said. Sector experts say water is uniquely special as all other areas of development rely upon it to function, but it’s highly vulnerable to climate change.