The Brazilian city of Belém will welcome the world at next year’s UN climate summit, but faces a race to be ready. Its residents are calling for a lasting legacy and investment.

Kuala Selat village lies on the coast of Indragiri Hilir district on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In the first half of the year, residents of the village arrange buckets and drums to collect rainwater to meet their daily needs. They will then stockpile water to last through the dry months from June to September, but a longer dry spell has led to an acute shortage of water.

Problematic switches to shrimp farming in areas of rising salinity in India and Bangladesh underline the need for political reform.

Researchers emphasise the critical importance of water governance for the future of one billion people in South Asia, highlighting that climate change exacerbates pressures on water resources and poses a risk of destabilisation, thereby advocating for integrated river basin management approaches.