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IWRM as a Tool for Adaptation
to Climate Change
Basic Principles and Elements of
Adaptation Strategies
Goal and objectives of the session
At the end of this session, participants will:
 Be able to identify the main principles and
processes that have been proposed for the process
of preparing adaptation strategies
 Know major sources of substantive guidance for
adaptation planning
 Be able to identify the linkages between
adaptation plans and mitigation plans, as well as
possible conflicts between the two.
What is adaptation?
Adaptation is a process by which
individuals, communities and countries
seek to cope with the consequences of
climate change, including climate variability.
It should lead to harmonization with country’s more
pressing development priorities such as
poverty alleviation, food security
and disaster management.
Variations
Proactive adaptation – ‘no regrets’ – strategic planning,
incremental implementation, and cost-effective.
Autonomous adaptation – ad hoc, cumulative, tactical
adjustments to demands, needs, and demographic patterns and
technological advances and ecological constraints. Progress as
data, events and uncertainties are clarified.
Rational decision-making in the area of hard and soft solutions
and their combination has to be based on a proper, permanent
planning process.
Adaptation chain
Prevent
Improve
resilience
Prepare
Respond
Extreme events
Recover
Basic principles
 Action based on assessment and evaluation 
application of precautionary principle to be
considered
 Adaptation to short-term climate variability and
extreme events is a basis for reducing vulnerability to
longer-term climate change
 Adaptation policy and measures are assessed in a
socio-economic development context
 Adaptation policy to take social, economic and
environmental concerns into consideration and ensure
that the needs of the present generation are met
without compromising the needs of future
generations.
Basic principles
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 Uncertainty characterization required along
the entire process
Concept may not be well understood at
political and local levels
Stakeholders must be part of the impact
assessment process to own the results
Communication strategy essential.
Basic principles
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 Strong interdepartmental (interministerial) and
intersectoral cooperation
 Stakeholder involvement  identification as part
of the assessment process
 Acceptable levels of risk
 No-regret and low-regret options as a priority
 Short-, mid- and long-term measures to be clearly
brought in sequence.
Basic principles
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 Estimating costs of a measure is a
prerequisite for ranking a measure and
including it in the budget or in a wider
adaptation programme. Cost of inaction?
 Avoiding maladaptation through strong
assessment process, stakeholder
involvement and considering the
externalities of various adaptations.
Development of an adaptation strategy
Policy, legal and institutional framework
Understand the vulnerability
Information needs
Impact assessment
Evaluate
Vulnerability assessment
Development of measures
Financial arrangements
Process
 Assessing current vulnerability
 Assessing future climate risks
 Formulating an adaptation strategy
 Monitoring, evaluation and review
 Engaging stakeholders in the adaptation
process
 Assessing and enhancing adaptive capacity.
In WRM, the process involves
 Assessment of the status of all water resources
 Specification of objectives for individual water
resources
 Prediction of trends
 Associated assessment of risk for projects
already taken
 Specification of measures for those projects at
risk of not meeting the objectives
 Monitoring of the impacts of measures for
further assessments and decision-making.
Opportunities for adaptation
 Planning new investments, or for capacity expansion
 Operation and regulation of existing systems for optimal use
and accommodating new purposes (e.g. ecology, climate
change, vulnerability)
 Maintenance and major rehabilitation of existing systems (e.g.
dam safety)
 Modifications in processes and demands (water conservation,
pricing, regulation)
 Introduce new efficient technologies (desalination,
biotechnology, irrigation, recycling, solar, etc.).
Steps for an adaptation project
 Scope project and define objective
 Establish a project team
 Review and synthesise existing information
 Design project for adaptation.
Steps
 Scope project and define objective
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Establish the stakeholder process
Prioritise the key system
Review the policy process
Define project objectives
Develop a communication plan
 Establish a project team
 Review and sysnthesise existing information
 Design project for adaptation
Setting objectives of an adaptation project
 Increase the robustness of infrastructure designs
 Increase the flexibility and resilience of the natural systems
 Enhance the adaptive capacity
 Reverse trends that increase vulnerability
 Improve people’s awareness and preparedness for future
climate change
 Integrate adaptation in development planning.
Steps
 Scope project and define objective
 Establish a project team
 Review existing information
• Review and synthesize existing information
• Describe adaptation policies and measures in place
• Develop indicators of vulnerability and adaptive capacity.
 Design project for adaptation.
Steps
 Scope project and define objective
 Establish a project team
 Review and sysnthesise existing information
 Design project for adaptation
• Select approach and methods
• Describe process for assessment of future vulnerability
• Develop monitoring and adaptation plan
• Develop terms of reference for project implementation.
Challenges to making adaptations
 Insufficient monitoring and observation systems
 Lack of basic information
 Settlements in vulnerable areas
 Appropriate political, technological and institutional
framework
 Lack of capacity
 Low income.
Adaptive capacity is dependent on:
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Economic resources
Human resources
Information and skills
Technology
Institutions
Infrastructure
Regional and international cooperation.
Conclusions
 Adaptation to present climate variability and extreme events
forms the basis for reducing vulnerability to future climate
change.
 The adaptation strategy has to be developed within the
development context of the system.
 Adaptation happens at various levels within the society –
national, regional, local, community and individual.
 The adaptation process is as important as the adaptation
strategy.
Think about it
What is the role of sectoral adaptation
planning? What is its potential?
Can you give examples of cross-sectoral
adaptation planning?
Thank you
Additional Material
The situation to be avoided...
“Water, water everywhere …
"… but not a drop to drink."
Adapted from A.M. Noorian
Information, information everywhere ...
… but none to help me think
Current pressures
Acceptable level of
uncertainty for action
Timing of changes
Future impacts
Immediate expected results
Adapted from A.M. Noorian
National Adaptation Programme of Action
 Objective: Serve as a simplified and direct
channel of communication for information
relating to the urgent and immediate adaptation
needs of the LDCs
 Needs addressed through projects and activities
that may include capacity building and policy
reform
 Available for some 38 LDCs  to be taken into
account when formulating IWRM plans!
Nairobi Work Programme (2005–2010)
 Improve understanding and assessment of
impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to
climate change
 Make informed decisions on practical
adaptation actions and measures to respond
to climate change on a sound scientific,
technical and socio-economic basis, taking
into account current and future climate
change and variability.
Areas of work under the Nairobi Work
Programme
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Methods and tools
Data and observations
Climate modelling, scenarios and downscaling
Climate related risks and extreme events
Socio-economic information
Adaptation planning and practices
Research
Technologies for adaptation
Economic diversification.
Building resilience
Energy and water development are
interrelated
Carbon
energy
source?
Source: Jonch-Clausen,2007
Water developments with serious energy
footprints
 Desalination of seawater for water supply
requiring huge amounts of energy
 Large-scale pumping for irrigation
 Large-scale pumping for inter-basin transfers
 Competing water uses leading to reduced inflow to
hydropower dams, as e.g. upstream irrigation,
resulting in increased thermal energy production.
Source: Jonch-Clausen,2007
Energy developments with serious water
footprints
 Major hydropower dams in dry tropical climates,
resulting in large water losses and changes in
downstream flow regimes
 Production of first generation biofuels in tropical
developing countries suffering water scarcity
already, hampering achievement of the MDG
targets on poverty and hunger
 Shale oil development requiring huge amounts of
water
 Energy crisis in Germany in 2003 due to
inadequate availability of cooling water for
nuclear power plants.
Source: Jonch-Clausen,2007
Information inputs
Climate Information
Historical data for trends
Climate predictions
Climate scenarios
Sectoral information
Technological options
Supply–demand situations
Physical information
Geophysical information
Social development scenarios
Economic
information