Climate change adaptation
The core business of water resources management is about coping with variability. It is related to storing excess water from wet periods to bridge dry spells, protecting low lying areas from floods, balancing withdrawals between upstream and downstream areas and between different uses, etc. The new dimension added by climate change is that the characteristics of water resources management are much more dynamic, imposing major challenges in terms of more rapid, and more intense and randomly frequent changes. These changes further increase the risks to the quality of life of the poorest higher and more complex.
The importance of water adaptation
The multiple water challenges most countries are facing provides a convincing argument of the necessity to respond urgently. People and economies are already suffering from lack of water or too much water. Water adaptation to climate change is critical to safe-guard progress made in:
- Water for economic growth, energy, and poverty reduction
- Water for food and fibre
- Water for nature
- Water for people (health and livelihood)
The human costs of not responding will be huge. The UNDP Human Development Report 2006 points out that the losses will be greatest in some of the poorest countries. 'No regrets' strategies, i.e. undertaking of actions which would significantly reduce adverse impacts of change - climate in particular - but would also not be ill-advised if projected impacts of change are not materializing, are therefore an important part of responding to climate change.
