It’s scary but true. As our climate continues to change, we will likely see more severe weather patterns across the globe. In particular, higher temperatures and rising sea levels will make both floods and droughts more frequent. But what can be done? Are there solutions to these problems? Last night I attended another World Science Festival event titled Rising Waters in a Thirsty World, which discussed the immanent effects of climate change, such as a lack of drinking water and more dangerous storms, and ways we can help to curb these events.

The panel consisted of four members with diverse backgrounds. Radley Horton is a climatologist at the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University. Geographer William Solecki is the director of CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities. Maude Barlow is an environmental activist and author of 16 best-selling books, including some recent publications on the water crisis. She is also the Senior Advisor on Water to the President of the United Nations General Assembly. Finally, Dickson Despommier is a medical ecologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, where he developed the idea of urban faming.

The first part of the discussion examined the implications of climate change on both a local and global level. If sea levels were to rise even one meter, low lying urban areas, such as New York City, would be more susceptible to severe weather patterns. This is mainly due to rising temperatures globally, which causes water to expand and mountain glaciers to melt. However, it is also due to small changes in the actual height of the land we live on (which, in the New York area, sinks about 4 inches per century) and variations in the ocean height due to the Gulf Stream. So a smaller, more frequent storm may have a greater impact on an area such as New York City. Additionally, changes in the hydrologic cycle through excessive pollution of water, using pipelines to transport water out of its natural ecosystem and over-pumping of water out of watersheds is also a cause for concern. Presently, more areas are being desertified than ever before as a consequence of overuse and displacement of water.

But we can all help. The impact of climate change on water is a local phenomenon. You can do your part to limit water use. Buying locally grown foods helps to cut down on water and energy use. Planting a rooftop garden is a great way make up for the green area your apartment building covered up. Both of these small efforts can help to reduce your ecological footprint.

Finally, the panel also discussed actions that need to be carried out on a larger scale. There should be tax incentives for green technology. As a society, we must focus on restoring watersheds, recycling waste water and seeing water as a public trust and a human right. Only with efforts on both a local and societal level can we expect to sustain our most precious resource.