Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation – The Water Sector

Description

Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation – The Water Sector –

This guidebook aims to provide expert information on the technologies most relevant for climate change adaptation in the water sector in developing countries. It is meant to be a practical tool for use by a broad range of stakeholders, including those in governmental agencies, water utilities, community water boards, non-governmental organizations, and private sector companies. Adaptation is an essential element of human response to climate change. The adverse impacts of climate change on the water sector will be experienced worldwide and are often projected to be most severe in resource-poor countries. Therefore, it is necessary to have access to a diverse array of adaptation technologies and practices that are appropriate and affordable in various contexts. The scale of these
adaptation technologies/practices should range from the individual household level (e.g. household water treatment), to the community scale (e.g. rainwater collection in small reservoirs), to large facilities that can benefit a city or region (e.g. a desalination plant). The guidebook first reviews the projected impacts of climate change on the water sector. It then addresses the role of adaptation in the water sector and six typologies under which available strategies are categorized. Eleven technologies and practices are given detailed treatment in this guidebook and four others are covered briefly. While these do not constitute all of the adaptation technologies available in the water sector, they do represent many of the most important adaptation technologies for developing countries.
For each of the 11 adaptation technologies and practices, the following are addressed: basic description, contribution to climate change and development, institutional and capacity building requirements, costs, barriers and opportunities for implementation, and extensive reference to external resources and case studies. The practical steps and appropriate contexts for implementation are covered in the
following chapter.
Adaptation should not be understood as simply implementing the correct technology or practice. It should be part of a coherent, inter-sectoral strategy to ensure sustainable water resources and safe water supply. Therefore, tools for planning and decision-making for climate change adaptation in the water sector are also considered. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is proposed here as an overall decision making framework for climate change adaptation in water resources. Likewise, Water Safety Plans (WSPs) are suggested to provide an approach for climate change adaptation in water quality and water supply.
This guidebook has been developed as part of a larger program on technology needs assessment and technology transfer.1 Other guidebooks, including those focusing on adaptation in coastal zones and the agriculture sector, were developed in parallel. 2 Therefore, methods for improving the efficiency of agricultural irrigation are not addressed here. Likewise, the implications of sea level rise and coastal storms are only addressed to the extent that they impact freshwater resources and water supply. The technologies and practices described here are very diverse. However, recurring themes were identified that can greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of adaptation. Among these themes are the importance of preliminary steps, including data collection and knowledge of existing water resources