The fact that water is becoming a scarce commodity in many places as a result of climate change is something that the participants at the UN climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh are now experiencing very directly: many water dispensers are empty after just a few days. The prices for snacks are also horrendous - there is also a rather unwelcome sponsor.
Water is scarce in the desert landscape of the Sinai Peninsula and the problem is also increasing in other parts of Egypt as a result of climate change. However, it was not necessarily to be expected that the UN climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, with its thousands of participants from all over the world, would lack water in the first few days. As early as Monday evening, the conference participants were no longer getting any refills from many of the water dispensers around.
On Tuesday, the organizers refilled. But on Wednesday, many free water dispensers were empty again. Meanwhile, the fridges at the food stands were filled with lemonades from the beverage giant Coca-Cola. To the displeasure of many environmental activists, the US company is one of the sponsors of this year's world climate conference. Environmentalists have long accused the company of contributing massively to plastic pollution worldwide.
Participants also complain about a shortage of snacks at the food stands and long queues at the food stands. "The food supply is catastrophic," said an NGO representative who has been taking part in world climate conferences for 15 years. Because she also doesn't have time to stand in long lines at the food stands on the conference site, she "secretly spreads sandwiches every day at the breakfast buffet in the hotel," said the NGO representative. For the many participants from developing countries, the COP27 prices - for example the equivalent of a good ten euros for a sandwich - are also far too high.
In view of the bottlenecks, "many are now resorting to carting in water bottles and food" from a nearby supermarket, according to a newsletter from the climate network GSCC. The network immediately provided practical help by listing the pavilions on the conference site where free coffee or tea is available. "Oases in the desert" was the joking title of this offer. Unlike in previous years, the German Pavilion is not one of these contact points.
