Understanding the Connection Between Water and Climate Change

A key driver of climate change is global warming—a global energy imbalance that intensifies the water cycle, adding about 7% of moisture for each 1°C of global mean temperature rise. In addition, land use change (predominantly deforestation, wetland depletion, land degradation and infrastructure development) is now impacting precipitation patterns, and how rain is partitioned between green (soil moisture/vapor) and blue water (runoff/liquid) flows.