Warming Water

Whether it’s a liquid, solid, or gas, water is vital to our planet. We depend on it for drinking and for sustaining our crops and animals, and countless species rely on freshwater ecosystems to live. The oceans help modulate CO2 levels and maintain global temperatures while transporting nutrients and supporting marine ecosystems. As the climate changes, so will the freshwater and saltwater resources that form the foundations of our communities and economies. And as the climate changes, so will—so must—our relationship to water.

Ocean

Covering 71 percent of our blue-marbled planet, the seas now absorb so much human-generated CO2 and energy from the sun that seawater chemistry and temperatures are endangering many organisms. Changes in the marine environment affect what thrives in the water and what we can harvest from it. Sea-level shifts are altering coastlines and undermining buildings, posing risks to human life.

Rising Seas

Reengineering coastal infrastructure and investing in water barriers and diversion systems can help protect against storm surges and floods.