Impacts of climate change on the human rights to water and sanitation by region Sub-regional areas with specific vulnerabilities Access to drinking water and sanitation will be more impacted by climate change in certain areas than in others. The geographical characteristics of those areas lend them specific vulnerabilities to climate change, and populations living in those areas face larger threats to the enjoyment of human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, and as such, must be prioritized in adapting to climate change. Small islands Projected increases in sea-level combine with predictions of extreme events, including storm surges and El Niño- Southern Oscillation, put the low-lying land of small islands at risk of flooding. This can lead to the destruction of supply and treatment infrastructure, and to water contamination. It is also likely to increase saltwater intrusion into groundwater. Mountainous areas Mountain glaciers and snowcaps show a melting trend almost everywhere in the world. Mountainous areas will see changing seasonality of water flow, as glaciers begin to melt steadily throughout the year, and precipitation increasingly falls as water rather than snow. This is likely to reduce droughts, but increase risks of floods, especially flash floods, putting local infrastructure at risk. Polar regions As permafrost thaws, pipes, roads, and storage and treatment facilities in the Arctic will be likely to shift and become damaged, with rising maintenance costs that could impact the affordability of services. Water quality is also predicted to decrease with rising temperatures, seeing the development of E.coli, cholera, and eutrophication processes. Coastal areas More than 600 million people (around 10% of the world’s population) live in coastal areas that are less than ten meters above sea level. Coastal areas are vulnerable from the increase in sea levels, and flooding due to storm surges. This will have severe impacts on water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Sea-level rise can also lead to the salinization of coastal aquifers, rendering their water undrinkable. 8