These major collaborative projects represent over $ 20 million in technical assistance and potentially over $ 1 billion in financing. India, on its part, committed to build climate resilience through improved groundwater management in the country.

Almost 290 water basin organisations are engaged under the Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation.

The announcement was part of the "Water Resilience Focus" event under the Lima to Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) on climate change. It also highlighted other key partnerships and coalitions to make river basins, lakes, aquifers and deltas more resilient to climate change and reduce human interference with oceans.

The LPAA is a joint undertaking of the Peruvian and French COP (conference of parties) presidencies, the Office of the secretary-general of the United Nations and the UNFCCC Secretariat.

It aims to strengthen climate action throughout 2015, in Paris in December and well beyond through mobilizing robust global action towards low carbon and resilient societies; providing enhanced support to existing initiatives, such as those launched during the New York UN secretary general Climate summit in September 2014; and mobilizing new partners and providing a platform for the visibility of their actions, commitments and results in the run up to COP21.

Climate changes, coupled with unsustainable use of water, are causing widespread impacts on societies and economies, creating droughts, floods and warming which affect all water systems and trigger negative and often fatal impacts.

Without improved water resources management, the progress towards poverty reduction targets, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and sustainable development in all its economic, social and environmental dimensions, will be jeopardized.

The Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation involves a wide geographic coalition of national and cross-border river basin organisations, governments, funding agencies, local governments, companies and civil society.

It encompasses individual commitments to implement adaptation plans, strengthening water monitoring and measurement systems in river basins and promoting financial sustainability and new investment in water systems management.

The major collaborative projects combined represent over $20 million in technical assistance and potentially over $ 1 billion in financing include:

A financial commitment by India to build climate resilience through improved groundwater management.

In the Niger Basin (9 African countries involved), the launch of a 10-year investment plan to strengthen resilience to climate change, with financial support from the World Bank/IDA, WAEMU, KfW, GEF and the countries themselves.

In Jordan, Lebanon, Monaco, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia, a 7-year commitment under the Mediterranean Water Platform to assess the state and trends of water resources, supported by the European commission.

In Morocco, a project to increase resilience of the agriculture sector through improved irrigation practice, with financing from IBRD and the Kingdom of Morocco.

In Mexico, 4-year collaboration to improve management of water resources and water services in the Mexico Valley.

In Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia, program Ecocuencas, a 3-year commitment to a financial mechanism for adaptation to climate change in river basins, supported by the European commission.

In China, a 3-year commitment to improve management of the Hai river basin, supported by France.

In central Africa in the Basin of Congo, the launch of a hydrological and meteorological monitoring program benefiting over 160 million citizens, with financing from AFD.