My experience at COP29 thus far has been eye opening. I have attended a variety of panels, events, and networking sessions that have allowed me to learn more about a variety of environmental issues, meet and talk to students and professionals from across the globe, and better understand the efforts being made by countries to address the climate crisis.
Something that stood out to me is that water appears to be one of the most underrated but key components to addressing climate change. When it comes to water, it was interesting to hear many panelists say that it is important to look at water in terms of adaptation and as an opportunity instead of as a problem. This is because although water quality and accessibility are issues that essentially every country faces to some degree, water also provides many opportunities for innovation and renewable energy generation.
One of the panels on water that I found most interesting was “Action on Water: Water solutions for climate actions” because it talked about the water issues the world is facing but also discussed the importance of involving local people when working on and implementing projects. For example, when it comes to water use in agriculture, panelist Sharon Cherono, Project Officer for Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF), discussed the importance of presenting information to farmers in a more relatable way. By effectively communicating with farmers, as a society we can shift to more sustainable farming practices. 
It was also explained during this panel that countries are working on a variety of projects to protect water resources, including the Freshwater Challenge, which is the largest global freshwater initiative. It is focused on restoring 300,000 km of freshwater and 350 ha of wetlands. Additionally, there is often a focus on water wars and conflicts between countries over access to and ownership of water. However, I have seen through several of the panels at COP29 that we can also view water as a way to unite us through countries collaborating on conservation and restoration efforts.
I am looking forward to learning more about water and its restoration during the remainder of the conference, as well as understanding the overlap it has with a variety of environmental topics and issues, such as biodiversity.
Amanda Stowe is a Environmental Science major in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.