Climate Change and the Sustainable Use of Water Resources

The present paper is part of the Glowa Jordan River project, which has been focusing on climate change impacts on environmental, economic and social issues within the lower Jordan river riparian states. The eastern Mediterranean is characterized by scarce and erratic precipitation with relatively cool, wet winters and dry hot summers. Water is the biggest growth-limiting factor. The present paper discusses the use of climate gradient as a tool to examine the impact of climate change on precipitation partitioning over field crops. The present experiment is carried out using a multi-layer, multi-year model with a daily time step. Six years of daily data for five locations, with average annual precipitation ranging from 170 to 580 mm, were used in this investigation. Results show that the ratio of soil evaporation (BE) to annual precipitation (P) during the growing season depends strongly on precipitation regime and amount, ranging from ~15 to 20% when P > 600 mm to ~60% when annual P < 200 mm. A decrease of 10% in precipitation along with a temperature rise of 2°C increases bare surface evaporation, on average, by ~10% compared to average current conditions. The implications of this would be a tangible reduction in blue and green water fluxes, leading to compulsory land use shift and further water stress in the region.

In the light of increasing demand and diminishing supplies due to climate change and related alterations in rainfall pattern, a sustainable urban water management for Melbourne and other cities will need to include water recycling and reuse of reclaimed water and stormwater. One key issue in water reuse is the need for storage between times of collection and demand. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), which is defined as well injection of source water into a suitable aquifer for later recovery, would be a valuable option as it has limited space requirements, restricts loss from evaporation and limits the potential for contamination. However, stormwater commonly contains elevated levels of heavy metals, of which Zn and Cu are the most frequent and mobile. Stormwater and treated wastewater also contain suspended solids, organic carbon, oxygen and nutrients, which influence the behaviour of injected metals and induce geochemical changes in the aquifer. While ASR has been practised in limestone aquifers in South Australia, field data for sandy aquifers, which are more prevalent around Melbourne, are very limited. After giving an overview about current ASR practices, the general aim of the study was the risk assessment of injected metals derived from stormwater during ASR in sandy aquifers. As no field sites fulfilling these criteria are in operation in Melbourne or anywhere else in Australia, this study was limited largely to literature review and laboratory experiments.

As the biggest watershed in West Java, Citarum plays an important role in supplying water for many districts in the province. The Citarum watershed supplies approximately 7,650 million cubic metres of water per year (m³ a

?1

). Currently, approximately 78% of the extracted water is used for irrigation, 14% for industrial activities and electricity generation, and 8% for domestic consumption. Analysis of this watershed found it to be very vulnerable to climate change. It was found that all of the sub-districts already experience water deficit problems (i.e. not enough supply to meet their demands), particularly in the lower areas such as Kerawang, Bekasi and Purwakarta, even without a changing climate and if the level of water extraction from the streamflow was limited to 10% of the mean annual flow. In 2080, the water deficit for most of the sub-districts in this lower area would be even more severe. Increasing water extraction to 20% of the mean annual flow would not change the water status of these sub-districts. Consequently, conflicts among water users may be a serious problem for these regions in the future.

The aim of the research study is to develop a resourceful database information and management system (DIMS) for climate change and coastal degradation. An important element of the DIMS is to have a coastal resource. This usually requires a great deal of data, and an information system can provide tremendous assistance in organizing, managing, understanding and reporting this information. Together, relational databases and geographical information systems (GIS) provide powerful tools for organizing and analysing environmental data. The climate change coastal resource information system has been designed to be simple, yet flexible. The database structure allows for variation in the level of detail provided for each variable and country. In addition to the ability to view, query and report monitoring data, the DMIS also allows users to display the data spatially using a GIS.

In this study a hypothesis was tested and evaluated: evapotranspiration of vegetation cover in dry saline waterlogged areas has a negative impact on salinization of soil resources due to pumping of saline underground water to the surface. For this purpose, reference, potential and actual evapotranspiration (ET) were simulated over the 2010–2039 time period via integration of Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), MODIS remotely sensed satellite images and General Circulation Model (GCM)-derived data. Results of the study disproved the mentioned hypothesis; ET comparisons between green vegetated surfaces and bare abandoned lands represented the positive role of surface vegetation in alleviation of soil salinity in the studied conditions. This means that acceleration of the salinization rate is probable in a lack of vegetation cover condition, especially when the groundwater is saline-shallow.

The African continent is likely to be highly affected by the consequences of climate change. The ensuing projected changes in the ecological system such as decreasing water availability and higher amplitudes of droughts and floods require responses from the social system, i.e. adaptation measures. Even though climate modelling is still plagued by high uncertainty, models suggest a reduction of precipitation and runoff for South Africa. This poses a major threat for South Africa, which depends heavily on surface water and whose water resources are already under stress. Adaptive governance has been proposed as an approach that provides a way to cope with rising uncertainty and environmental change. Against the background of decreasing water availability and in addition to technical solutions, adaptive water governance structures can serve as an important element for increasing water use efficiency, adaptive capacity and resilience of the water sector. The first part of the paper takes a conceptual approach towards adaptive water governance. It suggests characterizing adaptive water governance by referring to and merging elements of good governance, water governance and adaptive governance. In the second part of the paper, some of the elements of adaptive water governance are examined with regard to their relevance for South Africa’s water governance reforms. The paper concludes that, on the one hand, progress can be attested with regard to (1) a high level of flexibility built in the national water legislation, especially the National Water Act, (2) the provision of buffer capacities regarding institutions for solving water conflicts (redundancy), (3) the high level of participation of stakeholders at many levels and (4) the provision of equitable access to water. On the other hand, some (unintended) negative implications of these developments are documented. Among them are (1) the time-consuming processes of elaborating procedures and guidelines in the process of implementation, (2) the potentially negative effects of functional overlaps of CMA and regional offices of DWA, (3) effectively involving relevant stakeholders and (4) the lacking long-term sustainability of water infrastructure due to lack of capacity and capital.

It is currently feared that the increase in surface sea temperature resulting from increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could result in an increase in tropical cyclone intensity in the future. Although the economic consequences have been studied for a number of developed countries, very little work has been done on developing countries. The present paper attempts to indicate what are the likely economic effects of this, by using a Monte Carlo simulation that magnifies the intensity of historical tropical cyclones between the years 1978 and 2008. This tropical cyclone model is then coupled with a socioeconomic model that attempts to provide a projection of the likely development course of the Vietnamese economy and society. The simulation shows how annual downtime from tropical cyclones could increase from 0.23 to 0.37% by 2085 which could cause the loss of between 0.015 and 0.035% of GDP growth per year (between 600 bn and 1,400 m USD after factoring in the likely growth in the Vietnamese economy by this time). The effect that this could have on port operations and a preliminary assessment on the potential for increases in direct damage due to high winds are also made, showing a typical 33 to 65% increase for the centre and north of the country.

Water is potentially one of the most affected resources as climate changes. The impact of climate change in hydrologic regimes will affect water quantity, water quality and the occurrence of extreme events such as floods and droughts. Future water availability will also depend on the evolution of water use and water demands which are influenced by socioeconomic factors such as population growth, technological progress, infrastructure development, land use changes, and institutions. Climate change analysis for water resources management has traditionally focused on the physical impacts of different climate regimes on water availability with a limited representation of the socioeconomic dynamics within water systems. At the same time, economic analysis of climate change impacts on water resources has lacked a careful treatment of the physical aspects of water resource systems. Hydro-economic models have the potential to bridge the gap between these two types of analysis by integrating economic analysis into detailed water resource system analysis. A hydro-economic framework of analysis can be instrumental in studying how climate-related changes in water availability affect social welfare and how different policy interventions and investments can help reduce risks and take advantage of possible opportunities in the water sector resulting from climate change. This framework can be a useful tool for planners and decision-makers in the water management sector. Hydro-economic assessments integrate models describing the physical effects of climate change (e.g. hydrologic changes) with models describing engineering, economic and institutional responses at appropriate scales, providing a robust framework to study whether the broad range of water uses might remain compatible under future climate scenarios. We review case studies of different river basins around the world where applications of hydro-economic models were used to assess climate change impacts and adaptation strategies in water resources management. The cases under review address climate change adaptation strategies such as water allocation for agriculture and other uses in a river basin, water storage infrastructure expansion, flood control investments, and institutional barriers to adaptation.

There is a widespread recognition that the world is facing a growing water crisis affecting the well-being of the poorest people. Rapidly growing populations, urbanization, agricultural intensification and climate change (such as global warming) all contribute to greater competition and scarcity of water resources. Despite massively increased provision of water facilities over the past few decades and the development of low-cost sustainable technical solutions to many aspects of water provision, millions still suffer from water-related diseases and the physical, social and economic burdens associated with scarcity. One of the keystones is represented by saving water that is being pursued through an ethic of consumption, as a challenge for environmental education of young generations. Teaching the younger generation water-saving means to embody the principles of sustainable development. In this paper, we also show the results of a general survey on the schools, carried out through monitoring and surveys that demonstrate how educating young people to a conscious use of water may represent a good model of sustainable development to face the global water crisis.

Tanzania is not an exception to the situation where climate change and variability (CC&V) are emerging threats to development, with adverse impacts on environment, human health, natural resources and physical infrastructure. CC&V has been one of the major limiting factors in agriculture production, resulting in food insecurity and low household incomes possibly due to over-dependence on rain-fed agriculture by the majority of people living in rural areas of Tanzania. Thus, understanding adaptation to CC&V impacts among rural communities is of paramount importance for effective interventions on adaptation strategies. Checklist questions were used to collect information on various adaptation strategies to CC&V impacts carried out by farmer groups in two villages of the Matengo. Spectacular adaptation strategies found in both villages were working in farmer groups for activities such as agroforestry, dairy cattle keeping, running of hydro-mills, beekeeping, and fish farming. Most of these activities ensured both livelihood diversification and landscape conservation under a changing environment. Unique to these farmer groups were their spontaneous expansions, largely owing to farmers’ own inventiveness. This study, however, was only preliminary, hence calls for in-depth and longitudinal studies that could allow panel data collection and enable strategic intervention to the problems of CC&V.

This paper is a conceptual analysis of how “green” Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) can be the key to sustainable social and economic development under the regime of climate change. The prevailing IWRM principles developed by the Dublin and Rio statements (1992), the Millennium Assembly (2000) and the WSSD (2002) attach a narrow, technical and single purposive orientation to IWRM, which are inadequate in fighting against the impact of climate change. Standing on the brink of irreversible impacts of climate change, it is now most urgent to secure the water sector from the devastating impacts of climate change by appropriate responses through policies and acting accordingly. Integrating a climate-proofing approach to IWRM policies is termed as “green” IWRM. Analysis emphasizes that only “green” IWRM can promote water security under the changing climate. The paper outlines the strategies that should be taken to make the IWRM “green”, which will further ensure sustainable use of freshwater, participation, gender balancing and equitable and efficient management fostering sustainable development.

Land and water are intricately connected and the inability to manage one component will necessarily impact the other. As urban sprawl grows out of control of authorities in developing countries, poor populations are forced to settle in hazard zones. Thus, comprehending the urbanization process is key in understanding flood vulnerability. This research uses the urbanization process as a starting point to understand the social and environmental dynamics behind floods in a peri-urban neighbourhood of Dakar, Senegal. Participatory GIS (PGIS), land use change analysis, interviews, transect walks and ethnographic observations were used to understand settlement in flood-prone areas. Limited access to risk knowledge was identified as a contributor to flood vulnerability. We argue that although risk awareness existed among peri-urban communities, an uneven access to knowledge led to settlement in risk-prone lowlands. We demonstrate risk awareness among the community by looking at the influence of three variables on the urbanization process: landforms, land availability and land price. This paper concludes with a critical analysis of PGIS regarding analytical and empowering outcomes of this methodological approach.

There is mounting evidence that climate change will increasingly impact large areas of Latin America, affecting people’s livelihoods and important natural resources such as water. These impacts will make rural people disproportionately more vulnerable, given their dependency on natural resources and their exposure to other stressors, such as globalization and restricted fiscal policies. Climate change, however, could also bring new opportunities, such as the expansion of cultivated areas. The paper presents the results of a 3-year study focused on rural vulnerabilities to climate variability in three Andean watershed basins: the Mendoza Basin in Argentina, the Choquecota Basin in Bolivia and the Elqui Basin in Chile. Following the vulnerability approach, the presentation discusses and compares (a) the present exposures, sensitivities and adaptive capacities of different rural producers in the three basins to present and past climate variations and their impacts on local water resources; and (b) the instituional challenges faced by these rural producers in the context of the present climate variability and expected future changes in climate conditions.

In the southern part of Tunisia, oases sustain an extreme arid climate. Their tributary to the underground water resources definitely weakens their viability. The continuous decrease in the aquifer level, coupled with the salt contamination risks coming from drainage water, make water management more complex in this particular water shortage context. The recurrent creation of newer private parcels has required more water allocation and the irrigation system capacity became unable to satisfy the water demand. This situation is exacerbated by the climate change impacts that are becoming increasingly evident. These regions experience more consecutive droughts while they have less access to reliable water resources. In order to face these challenges, water resources management should be improved; more efficient water management is required. Moreover, the farmers’ current practices have to include more water saving to meet the full capacity of the irrigation systems. This paper focuses on the preparedness of the irrigated sector within southern Tunisia to cope with the impacts of climate change. Our approach emphasizes the technical constraints to the feasibility of such new practices, as well as the socio-economic conditions prevailing within the southern Tunisia oases.

Bangladesh is globally considered one of the most vulnerable and exposed countries to climate change (Climate change and Bangladesh Department of Environment, Government of People’ Republic of Bangladesh. Climate Change Cell, Dhaka, 2007). There is evidence of prominent increases in the intensity or frequency of many extreme events such as flood, land erosion, heat waves, tropical cyclones, intense rainfall, tornadoes, drought, storm surges, salinity intrusion, etc. which cause loss of livestock, damage to pasturelands, increase fodder scarcity, destroyed shelters, decreased production, increased management costs to incidence of diseases, etc. in Bangladesh. This paper therefore intends to do three things: (1) it shall identify the extreme climatic hazards, vulnerabilities and risks; (2) it shall find out the impacts of climatic hazards on the livelihood of the vulnerable people; and (3) it shall propose some possible strategies for reducing the vulnerability to the climatic hazards. The present paper is intended as a concept paper to deal with the impact level assessment on livelihoods due to climate change. The method has followed both qualitative and quantitative approaches in the southwestern coastal zone in Bangladesh and used secondary data and information. The livelihood and income of a large population depends on the natural resource base and most of the poor people often live in marginalized lands and areas more prone to natural disasters. Climate change means that many natural disaster-prone areas will become more prone due to increased frequency and intensity of disasters. Drought-prone areas will become hotter and drier, with less predictable rainfall; flood frequency and intensity along onset and recession will be changed in future; the nature of cyclone and storm surges will be different from the historical trend. All of these together will change crop yields and affect many poor people’s livelihoods. Agriculture yields have been decreased and cropping pattern has been changed in recent years. Adverse impacts of climate change are likely to reduce availability and deteriorate quality of water for domestic use. Moreover, climate change is likely to increase the prevalence and infection of vector- and water-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, cholera and dysentery, etc. Degradation of biodiversity will reduce the availability of many traditional medicines which may affect poor and rural people who depend more on natural resources for medicine as well as income and food. Sea level rise (SLR) will drastically affect the poor people who are in coastal area and flood plain zone in Bangladesh. However, many actions undertaken to address the baseline or contextual risks in Bangladesh are also synergistic with the so-called adaptations that might be required as climate change impacts manifest themselves.

The inhabitants of the middle and upper regions of the Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand State in India struggle for their survival, food security and sustainable livelihoods due to various topographical and socioeconomic constraints. Agriculture, which is largely rain-fed (90%), is the mainstay for their livelihoods, but various climatic, geographical and socioeconomic constraints have led to a dismally low agricultural productivity in the region. For generations, the inhabitants have been depending on the natural water springs and streams for meeting their day-to-day water needs for drinking and domestic uses, irrigation, animal consumption, etc. Most of the perennial springs and streams have become seasonal or have dried up for want of recharge due to climatic variability and other natural and man-made hazards. Efforts are made to develop, conserve and manage the available water resources, namely overland flow, runoff through rooftops of houses, and natural water springs by making suitable low-cost storage structures. The field studies have revealed that construction of a brick-cemented tank to store spring water and filtered roof water for drinking and household needs, in combination with a dug-out farm pond lined with 0.25 mm thick low-density polyethylene sheet to collect the overflow from the cemented tank and the overland flow, is a technically feasible and economically viable option.

The debate on climate change in relation to the ports and shipping sector has largely focused on their impacts rather than the question of adaptation and vulnerability. Limits to current levels of adaptation to existing climatic variation are demonstrated by the impacts and costs to society associated with extreme events such as floods, ice storms, droughts and hurricanes. Assessing vulnerability, and therefore the resilience of social-ecological systems, such as ports, needs to take account of three dimensions: (i) real or potential impacts on the system, (ii) the systems’ ability to cope and adapt to these impacts and (iii) the extent to which coping capacity may be constrained by environmental or societal conditions. In this context, this paper reflects on the results of a training needs analysis conducted within the ports and shipping industry in Australia, in order to explore what might be most relevant issues for the sector and its implications for future adaptation strategies. The paper reflects on the issues raised and argues that the key to building adaptive capacity is implementation of training packages focused on vulnerability assessments.

According to the latest World Bank report, India is the largest groundwater user in the world and accounts for approximately 60% of the irrigated agriculture in the country. In the hard rock and semi-arid areas of peninsular India, uncontrolled overexploitation of groundwater is leading to a continuous decline in the water table, driving farmers to participate in and increase their dependence on informal markets for irrigation water. This paper examines the existence, structure and role of groundwater markets in the Gingee river watershed in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry region of India. The state government’s policy of providing free electricity, subsidized bore installation schemes and promoting water-intensive crops has led to a drop in the water level in successive years. The large landholders have the resources to dig bores at greater depths; small landholding farmers depend greatly on surface water and rainfall, leading to exacerbation of inequalities. With changes in climate and rainfall variability during the last few years, and also the ineffectual surface water irrigation system, the whole agriculture structure has received a setback.

While the issue of climate change and its potentially devastating impact is generally agreed among researchers and policy-makers worldwide, the level of exposure to the problem varies regionally. Sub-Saharan Africa is considered one region likely to be most affected by the impacts of climate change. However, there is limited evidence indicating the specific magnitude of the impact within and between countries in the region. This study used a quantitative and qualitative research design to collect data on agricultural production, food security, child nutrition and water supply in Seraro district of Oromia region, southern Ethiopia. A total of 418 households participated in the study and detailed discussions were done with the farmers. The result of the study showed that nutritional status of the children is far from the WHO standard and that shortage of drinking water both for household and livestock is one of the most important constraints in the study area.

This paper is aimed at providing a synthesis of what we currently know about climate change, especially its potential impacts on rural water availability in Nigeria. This is because climate change is known to have impacts on the quantity of water available as well as the geographical and seasonal distribution of this water through its significant impact on precipitation amount, its distribution and duration, as well as the rates of water loss by evaporation. This paper also joins others before it to call for more research on climate change and water resource availability for the sake of our rural population, who are the most vulnerable to climate change phenomena when it comes to water shortages. Finally, this paper gives recommendations on how this trend should be averted locally through educating the rural people that they are partly the construct of their misfortunes, mainly through bush burning and deforestation.

Bangladesh is a densely populated, agriculture-based country and is recognized as one of the areas most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming and climate change. This is due to its unique geographic location, dominance of floodplains, low elevation, high population density, high levels of poverty, and overwhelming dependence on nature for its resources and services. The country experiences severe flood and cyclone events and, in recent years, water logging has become a catastrophic problem along the coast. These coastal areas play important economic and environmental roles in the country. The present paper attempts to show the extent of water logged areas, caused by sea level rise and the sectoral impacts of settlement, agriculture, health and education in the south-western coastal areas of Bangladesh. A multi-temporal analysis method has been used with remote sensing (LandSat 1975 and LandSat 2010) data. SRTM data has been used to visualize the water logged areas attractively. To the Government of Bangladesh, NGOs, policymakers, planners and other interested parties it is important to measure and monitor present issues and to predict the future impacts of climate change. This will help to facilitate effective management and is particularly important where a large number of people are threatened. In this regard the present study is expected to be useful and will have strong implications in coastal planning and other climate change adaptation measures.

Climate change impacts on precipitation patterns, glacial retreat and associated changes in runoff regimes are observed from the Alps to the Andes. In order to manage future uncertainty as climate impacts on water resources further unfold, it is vital to better understand adaptive capacity and how it may be developed. Governance is an issue at the heart of the water discourse, with effective water governance seen as essential to building adaptive capacity in communities to manage future climatic uncertainty and stress. Governance and institutional components are more generally seen as key determinants of adaptive capacity, yet there has been relatively little empirical verification of indicators at the local and regional levels, as well as in the water sector. This study aims to contribute to the literature on adaptive capacity in the water sector, through the empirical and analytical development of more robust indicators of adaptive capacity relating to governance and institutions. The paper discusses how extremes can be an effective illustration of one type of climate uncertainty, in which to explore and assess the plasticity and adaptive capacity of the water governance system. Research is based on literature review, stakeholder interviews and statistical analysis of climatic extremes.

The Health Check reform, reinforcing the Common Agricultural Policy, emphasizes the role of agriculture in climate change, facing issues related to climate change, renewable energies, protection of biodiversity, water management, innovation, and dairy production. The CAP Health Check targets were included in the Rural Development Programmes (RDPs); a preliminary qualitative assessment identified that 14 RDPs include climate change targets and eight RDPs include the six Health Check targets (MIPAAF (2009): Analisi dei PSR sulle nuove sfide del Health Check—17/09/2009. Rete Rurale Nazionale 2007–2013). This paper aims to make an initial quantitative assessment of the impact of agriculture greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction measures in Italy, taking into account the 21 Italian RDPs. The conceptual framework of this work was based on a multiple criteria approach, which considers the analysis of diverse GHG emission reduction measures for the agriculture sector, and multiple rural development

axis

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measures

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actions

from RPDs. Main activities were found under measure 121 (farm modernization) and 214 (agri-environment). A more rational use of nitrogen fertilizers can result in an effective mitigation action (reduction of N

2

O emissions). Concerning emissions of CH

4

from manure management, the adoption of biogas recovery could be relevant; while other specific incentives for electric power production are also supporting methane emission reduction (<1 MW special fee and >1 MW green certificates).

The water sector of Bangladesh is instrumental in supporting the livelihoods of millions of people. Over the last few decades, water resources in Bangladesh have come under the severe threat of climate change impacts and the first effects of climate change are already being felt. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) univocally confirms the future water sector vulnerabilities for Bangladesh in its Fourth Assessment Report. However, the water resource development policies of Bangladesh have insufficiently acknowledged the issue of climate change impacts on its economy and livelihood. The paper aims to examine the level of climate policy integration in newly developed water-related policies, i.e. National Water Policy (NWP), National Water Management Plan (NWMP), Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The approach is conceptualized as “climate proofing” policy (integration of climate change as a cross-cutting issue). A descriptive analysis of “climate proofing” policy is presented based on a literature review. The paper finds that Bangladesh still cannot make its water policies “climate-proof” considering the high level of climate vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the lack of a wider contextual understanding of the issue has appeared as one of the major impediments. Subsequently, the paper outlines strategies for developing pro-adaptive, responsive and “climate-proof” water policies in order to sustain this valuable resource from climate change impacts. Improved coordination among the stakeholders and convergence of key policy documents has been deemed instrumental to make the policies “climate-proof” and sustainable. In addition, potential bottlenecks of developing such climate-responsive water policies occupy significant discussion in the paper.

The KLIMOS research platform on climate change and development cooperation is an inter-disciplinary and inter-university research platform working on climate change adaptation and mitigation in development cooperation. Within KLIMOS, our team is working on the integration of environmental sustainability issues in development interventions in Belgium’s southern partner countries, through the development of an environmental sustainability toolkit. The toolkit consists of a screening instrument and a database that need to be used together when preparing, monitoring and/or evaluating development interventions. This allows development practitioners in North and South to mainstream key environmental sustainability aspects such as climate change, but also biodiversity, desertification and deforestation, into the different aid modalities (projects, budget support, programmes, national strategies, etc.). A number of case studies will be conducted to test the toolkit in different contexts and to familiarize future users with the approach. In the context of this paper, we will describe the genesis of the toolkit, as well as the contents and the process of the proposed first version (toolkit 1.0). Finally, we will analyse the potential of the toolkit in the Sahel partner countries of the Belgian fund for food security through a brief case study in Benin. The paper concludes with some thoughts on how to fine-tune the toolkit methodology with the integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach, which is used successfully by non-governmental organizations in the region. The case study will allow us to bridge the gap between “abstract” climate change mainstreaming goals and the local realities in the South, by enriching the toolkit approach with IWRM insights.

The African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology agreed that drought is one of the major environmental problems that is afflicting the African continent, with its consequent negative impacts on the socioeconomic development of the affected areas. It is within this context that this study assessed the spatio-temporal variation of drought severity in the Sudano-Sahelian region (SSR) of Nigeria, which is highly vulnerable to drought. The study analysed spatio-temporal variation of drought severity in the region between 1961 and 2006 using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). It was established that most of the extreme droughts of the highest magnitude were recorded around the 1970s and 1990s and that there were indications that this would continue in the future. Results also identified sub-regions characterized by a different level of drought risks in the region. The study concluded by making appropriate policy recommendations for effective water management for the region.

In recent times, several studies have shown that climate change is likely to have a significant impact on the availability of freshwater resources. Freshwater-rich regions across the globe are projected to face water scarcity if current reserves are not managed effectively. Traditionally, the Puducherry region has been well endowed with large freshwater reserves, but demand for water has already increased manifold over the years due to an increase in agriculture, industrialization, urbanization, population and economic development. This has resulted in water scarcity and water quality problems in some regions. At present, the hydrological cycle is being modified at a rapid pace due to the overexploitation of water resources, changes in cropping pattern, land use, groundwater depletion, seawater intrusion, pollution and water pricing models. Apart from these, there have also been observed changes in the increase of average temperature, humidity and coastal erosion. It is recognized that sustainable water resources development and management is an important and urgent issue to be taken up seriously. Therefore, an objective assessment of the availability of water resources in the context of the future water requirements, impacts of climate change and its variability is very crucial for sustainable development. This paper examines in detail the potential for sustainable management of freshwater resources within the constraints of climate change.

Lake Balkhash is Kazakhstan’s second most important natural inland water reservoir, whose catchment basin is shared between the Republic of Kazakhstan (60% of the catchment’s area) and the People’s Republic of China (40% of the catchment). The lake is a source of fishery production and it serves as a means of transport, while the water of the catchment basin is extensively used for hydropower production, and irrigated agriculture and industry located in the Balkhash Lake basin. These socio-economic activities together with climate variability have strongly affected the lake’s hydrological regime during the last 100 years. The centralized, master plan-oriented management system and use of water regulation during the late Soviet era have been a major drawback to sustainable management of the lake, leading to a significant decrease in its water level and degradation of the surrounding wetlands. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the economic activity in Kazakhstan’s part of the Balkhash Lake basin rapidly diminished, causing the current broad rehabilitation of the whole ecosystem. Unfortunately, despite the benefit for the Balkhash Lake basin’s ecosystem accrued from the diminished anthropogenic impact in Kazakhstan, the basin’s existing management strategy of post-Soviet Kazakhstan faces several challenges that limit their effectiveness in the realization of sustainable development for the region. Moreover, a new challenge for sustainable development in the Lake Balkhash basin appears in the form of rising water consumption in the upper parts of the basin in China. This paper gives an overview of the change in the Lake Balkhash basin along with the political change in the area. The paper also illustrates problems regarding water resources management in the drainage basin of Lake Balkhash.

The effect of climate change upon the distribution of plants and water is potentially severe, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Drought, attributable in significant part to climate change, is already causing acute water shortages in large parts of the world. Therefore, the utilization of marginal water and seawater is gaining considerable importance in such regions where freshwater is insufficient to develop all potential arable land. Currently, foliar-applied nutrients have limited direct use for the enhancement of stress-resistance mechanisms in plants. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, two pot experiments were conducted in the halophytic greenhouse of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza to study the effect of foliar application of potassium fertilizer (0, 20, 40, 60 ppm) on productivity, biochemical composition and some physiological aspects of

Sporobolus virginicus

(Dixi) plants grown under different levels of seawater irrigation (tap water, 12.5, 37.5, 25.0 and 50.0%). Increasing the saline irrigation level generally increased the content of soluble carbohydrates, proline, sodium, calcium and the value of succulence and osmotic potential (OP) as well as salinity tolerance index (STI), particularly under 50.0% seawater concentration. On the other hand, raising the level of seawater used for irrigation adversely affected the content of potassium as well as the K/Na and Ca/Na ratio. However, moderate concentration of seawater increased biomass production, crop growth rate (CGR) and the content of chlorophyll a + b and crude protein. Foliar application positively affected all the growth and physiological criteria, as well as the salinity tolerance of the tested plants. Foliar application with 60 ppm potassium surpasses the other treatments, especially at high levels of saline irrigation.

World drinking-water stocks are limited and this means that water is a limiting factor that defines people’s living conditions and ecosystems all over the world. It is clear that modelling the global water cycle is a complex task and can give an approximate estimation only. More exact estimations may be done for separate water cycle processes only when their coefficients and boundary conditions are well defined. The aim of this work is to develop the model of water use as a water cycle process and to define necessary and sufficient conditions of water-using regimes’ stability. As a result of modelling, a common criterion of stability of water-using regimes is proposed. This criterion includes the necessary condition based on the radioactive balance criterion, and the sufficient condition that is defined by a pulse migration value. The considered approach permits to define the boundary of stable areas of water system processes and systems themselves. In the area of instability, a crash water issue arises that leads to the disturbance of an assimilated system capacity.

Exploration of the science–management interface in the Western Cape, South Africa, in terms of the communication of climate change-related data to water resource managers (WRMs), has revealed how continuous communication between WRMs and climate scientists is necessary in order to help narrow the gap between the two camps. This is firstly to meet the challenge of establishing an outline of the information that WRMs need, as well as developing a framework for how the climate change information can be incorporated into planning and procedure. Secondly, interaction between the two camps is necessary in order to establish comprehensible data presentations that account for model uncertainty and the uncertainty related to different future scenarios, while at the same time offering useful guidance for planning and adaptation strategies. Thirdly, continuous interaction is necessary in order to establish a new form of management required to deal with the new uncertainty and element of risk associated with climate change and increased climate variability: a proactive and resilient form of management based on “learning to manage by managing to learn”. A Climate Change Forum can provide the required platform for communication, further allowing for co-production of knowledge, ensuring the production of comprehensible, relevant and applicable climate data.

The specific attitudes and behaviour of individuals in a given society must be properly understood in order to develop adequate and relevant public policies regarding water consumption. For this reason, we conducted a survey to measure the perception of the Geneva population regarding the main social aspects of water consumption. Our sample, collected between November 2006 and February 2007, numbers 907 valid questionnaires. We observed that most respondents indicate that they have an ecological awareness regarding their daily consumption of freshwater. However, we also discovered a lack of information, e.g. people are neither able to quantify water price, nor their individual consumption (for drinking, cleaning, washing, etc.). Non-parametrical statistical tests have highlighted a weak correlation between water price increase and consumption. Also, people who directly pay their water bills seem to be more concerned by water consumption than others. This and other elements of perception regarding public water consumption have been analysed with the aim to provide recommendations for better demand management policies.

Climate change poses a multidimensional international challenge with no straightforward solution. There is a growing international consensus that the Earth’s climate is changing by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases primarily resulting from extensive industrial, commercial, transport and domestic use of fossil fuels. Adverse impacts of global warming that influence climate change include: melting glaciers, floods, earthquakes, drought, colossal loss of biodiversity, famine and demographic movement across continents. This warrants very careful planning and execution of mitigation and adaptation actions in a system-specific and sustainable manner to offset and minimize adverse impacts of anthropogenic interventions. Sustainable development involves a comprehensive and integrated approach to economic, social, and environmental processes. Climate change is influenced not only by the climate-specific policies but also by the mix of development choices and preparing for the resulting development trajectories. Therefore, mainstreaming the sustainability concept as an integral part/component of climate change-related policy options requires that non-climate policies, programmes, and/or individual actions take climate change mitigation and adaptation into consideration, in both developing and developed countries. The paper attempts to integrate the principles and modus operandi of mitigation and adaptation with sustainable development with a focus on low-carbon economy in order to help formulate suitable strategies to offset adverse impacts of climate change.

Water resources and climate change education is an urgent need for encouraging students to understand the water issues related to climate change at their local level and make the changes in their attitude, behaviour for protection and conservation, and protection of local precious natural resources and capability to sustain their life under changing climatic conditions in future. The main objectives of this study were to bring changes to students’ behaviour and attitudes to protect and conserve local drinking water resources. In order to address local water quality issues, students were provided with the scientific skills to monitor water quality, essential water quality parameters to protect against/prevent water pollution and were motivated and trained to practise various climatic change adaptations in order to conserve their local water resources and to create awareness among the local community about climatic change adaptations and the protection/conservation of local water resources through service-learning education. In this study, a pre- and post-test with control group design was used to measure students’ efficiency of knowledge, attitude, and behaviour pre- and post-test. Activity-based environmental education methods were used to address water quality issues and climate change at local level, including classroom sessions such as lectures, PowerPoint presentations, films on various water issues and climate change, debates, essay/painting competitions, and quizzes and tests. During the outdoor activities, students were facilitated with hands-on activities, field trips, community visits, games and group projects. The post-test results revealed that there was an increase in students’ knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills to solve local water resources and climate change problems. This study therefore stresses the need to extend teaching and learning activities into the immediate environment of the pupils beyond the classroom so that they are made aware of and understand water resources and climate change studies.

Glacial retreat caused by global climate change is creating uncertain conditions for the rural farming communities of Yungay province in the Peruvian Andes. Peru’s glacial mass has been reduced by an average of 22% over the last 30 years, leading to a reduction in water supplies vital for local farming and agricultural activities. Local water management practices are inefficient and are increasing pressure on already strained supplies. In 2006, Practical Action Peru initiated a four-year capacity-building project in sustainable water management in 12 rural communities. Participatory approaches shaped project design and implementation, including experimental plots and community training programmes. Consequently, five adaptation measures were prioritized for implementation: improved irrigation techniques, plague management, crop rotation, recovery of local knowledge about water management, improved dissemination of water management knowledge and technology, and strengthening the organization of Water User Boards. The introduction of improved technologies saved up to one-fifth of the water being used for farming. Community awareness of links between climate change impacts, improved technologies and reduced vulnerability were improved. By providing a focal point for community decision-making on water distribution and use, User Boards reduced the potential for social conflict and led to increased preventative measures implementation.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and much of its rural population is at, or near, subsistence level. In recent years the timing and intensity of the monsoon in Nepal, as well as temperature extremities, have changed and this is severely impacting upon agriculture, the mainstay for over 80% of the population. Flash flooding and drought has led to landslides, water shortages and irrigation problems, which have adversely affected subsistence farming. This research conducted social surveys in rural locations to ascertain which adaptation initiatives have been implemented at the community level and determine how indigenous populations have adapted to climate-induced environmental change, with a focus on water resources. The principle research aim was to qualitatively understand how rural inhabitants have adapted/are adapting to changes in climate, the environment and water from a bottom-up perspective. Water is an essential resource for sustaining community livelihoods in rural Nepal, providing an indispensable resource for irrigation, consumption and sanitation. Research conducted in communities within the Nawalparasi district found disparities in living standards relative to resource availability. Results indicated that water stress is impacting on food security and there is a need to better adapt crop production and irrigation systems to ensure viable future sustainability. In addition, illiteracy, education facilities and accessibility were found to be strongly linked to community adaptability.

The research project presented here is an evaluation of problems arising from global warming, increasing stormwater intensities, demographic changes and migration in highly industrialized regions. 1D/2D simulations are used to show the advantages of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) strategies using the MIKE URBAN Flood Software (Danish Hydraulic Institute, DHI, Copenhagen, Denmark). Two regions in the Ruhr area, Germany, were analysed in order to illustrate the advantages of WSUD. More and more frequently, rainwater after an extreme rainfall event cannot be drained by the existing sewer system [DWA (2010) DWA-Themenheft, Klimawandel–Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätze für die deutsche Wasserwirtschaft”, Deutsche Vereinigung für Wasserwirtschaft, Abwasser und Abfall e. V., DWA, Hennef] and flooding of urban city centres occurs. One reason why the central sewer system fails to absorb the rainwater is the increased load in the sewers due to a higher discharge of wastewater. More frequent extreme rainfall events due to climate change will worsen the situation [Gerstengarbe F (2009) Klimawandel in Ballungsräumen: Das Beispiel Ruhrgebiet, Bildungszentrum für die Entsorgungs- und Wasserwirtschaft GmbH]. That rainfall characteristics have already started to change is shown by numerous flash flood events all over Europe [Castro D, Einfalt T, Frerichs S, Friedeheim K, Hatzfeld F, Kubik A, Mittelstädt R, Müller M, Seltmann J, Wagner A (2008) Prediction and management of flash floods in urban areas in Germany (URBAS). Final Report, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Bonn]. Although such events will occur more frequently in Germany in the future, the extension of sewage systems is not financeable. Therefore, decentralized infiltration and storage devices should be introduced to reduce runoff. Additionally, the directed discharge of stormwater runoff across the surface in an urban catchment is required. Within a city, streets and squares could be flooded in order to protect buildings and urban infrastructure. Additionally, the directed discharge into decentralized storage structures is useful to limit the negative effects of flooding. The required storage capacity needs to be integrated in the environment. It has been shown that the directed flooding of public parks or public squares is a useful measure to adapt urban infrastructure to the consequences of climate change.

Observational evidence from all continents and various spheres shows that many natural systems are being affected by anthropogenic climate changes. One of those systems affected by the climate change scenario is the hydrological cycle, which encompasses water availability and water quality, as well as water services. In any industrial plant, the discharge of by-products and waste materials in various forms may pollute receiving waters rendering them unsuitable as a water supply. Excessive nutrients can lead to algal blooms, oxygen deficits, the release of toxic gases and increased pollution load, which in turn contribute either directly or indirectly to the climate change. In return, climate change can also negatively affect the industrial water sector in its own unique way. Adaptation to climate change is, consequently, of urgent importance in today’s world. While end-of-pipe treatment of industrial waste was a popular management approach only 20 years ago, advanced treatment/management concepts such as Industrial Ecology, Clean Development Mechanism, Industrial Symbiosis and Design for Sustainability are more common today. This paper discusses the theoretical background of industrial water management as an important tool in putting water adaptation to climate change into practice. It focuses on the impacts of climate change on sustainable water management, the additional new challenges for water management deriving from climate change, and how the planning should be modified to adapt to climate change from an industrial ecology point of view. Although water management seems to be an operational issue, the choice of appropriate site location, provision of services, facilities design, best operational management practices along with supported institutional structures such as site development, risk mitigation measures, quality control measures, awareness creation, emergency planning and monitoring are needed to ensure sustainable industrial water management for mitigating climate change.

With their new campaign “I am made of water”, the work group on water of Amigos de la Tierra, Argentina (Friends of the Earth, Argentina) wants to call attention to the unjust and increasingly precarious drinking water situation in Argentina. This situation is characterized by great geographical, climatic and socio-economic differences between the dry and comparatively poor north and west of the country, on the one hand, and the humid, fertile Pampas and Buenos Aires region in the east, on the other. The basic climatic differences are intensified by differential effects of climate change on these regions. Additionally to this disparity in natural drinking water supplies, the national government employs a pricing and supply policy that favours the relatively rich, humid urban areas, while disadvantaging rural areas and the poor city fringes with low drinking water connectivity. The authors will follow up on how this unjust pricing system and lack of education have strengthened environment-damaging habits among the general public in those areas where water supply, at first glance, does not seem to be a problem. The role of cognitive factors, such as beliefs and (lack of) knowledge about water-related facts in creating and maintaining these unsustainable behaviours is discussed. Finally a threefold initiative for change is suggested, including personal education, strengthening social awareness and creating structural foundations as constitutional law warranty for access to water for fair prices.

According to a recent document produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Le Treut et al., Climate change 2007: the physical science basis, contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007), climate change is expected to increase the impact of droughts and water shortages in sub-Saharan Africa, which is already significant, intensifying the need to acquaint local people with adaptation measures in the near future. One of the tools that can be used to help rural areas adapt to climate change can be Drip Irrigation Systems (DIS). The research described on this paper was undertaken in rural Mozambique, as part of the N’hambita Community Carbon Project (NCCP), in order to evaluate the efficiency of DIS and the success of its implementation in the area. The methodology of the research consisted of on interviews, questionnaires, GPS mapping of water sources and observation of the water use within agricultural activities. The efficiency of DIS irrigation, investigated among the local farmers, is estimated as higher than manual irrigation, but less efficient than its presumed theoretical potential. In addition, the results also showed that the investigated approach to DIS implementation in the NCCP area did not appear as successful as expected and has yet to be improved by increasingly involving social aspects in the process. Nevertheless, it was concluded that DIS have a high potential for improving water management, productivity of farms and households’ food security within the NCCP area.

This paper attempts to answer the question, has the creation of local water governance groups improved water governance through social learning? The study reviews and assesses a sampling of local water governance groups in the three Canadian Prairie provinces Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, based on their legislation and policy mandate, planning and activities to date in respect to social learning. Important to adaptiveness to climate change are processes of social learning which go beyond production of new and additional knowledge but include reflecting and re-evaluating, building capacity, creating trust, incorporating local knowledge, and internalizing externalities into water governance decisions. The three local water governance groups studied in each of the three Prairie Provinces show positive developments in social learning and improved water governance. There is evidence of new data accumulation, application of existing data and local knowledge to decisions, capacity and trust building, as well as ongoing planning and re-evaluation. This review and comparative analysis provides important insights into the development of policy surrounding the mandates and activities of local watershed advisory groups to improve their effectiveness, increase social learning surrounding their activities and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

The uncertainty and intensity of rainfall, and the high evaporation rates in Africa’s arid and semi-arid lands are making traditional water sources undependable. Sand Dams represent a development and adaptation strategy that is increasingly being used to combat this growing water insecurity. When operationalized, these small-scale structures increase the size of the riverbed reservoir, thereby allowing more water to be captured and stored during the rainy season. Additionally, a developed Sand Dam is argued to improve the quality of water and build resilience through enabling ecological restoration, diversified livelihoods and the creation of socioeconomic capital. The first section of this paper focuses on how the Sand Dam strategy brings added advantages by reviewing the literature and evaluating the effectiveness of Sand Dams as a development and adaptation strategy. The second section presents findings from five Sand Dam projects in Kenya and explores which social factors and processes are contributing to the success of projects. The case studies emphasize the importance of community cohesion and drive, capacity building and follow-up from the implementing institutions. It has been noticed that these social factors are equal in importance to the proper construction and technical considerations of the concrete structure and are in fact the key factors ensuring that a Dam matures into a proper functioning Sand Dam.

This paper presents an adapted set-up for urban rainwater management since the upscaling of the classical set-up tends to be problematic. It is found that this is mainly due to the high investment costs required for the construction of storage elements such as tanks or cisterns. The general idea of the proposed set-up, therefore, is to combine the decentralized catchment and infiltration of rainwater at household level with a centralized water supply system. The water supply of the households is provided through a high connection rate to the water supply system, exploiting the local groundwater resources. The rainwater is infiltrated on-site into the subsoil and stored in the local aquifer allowing for indirect reuse in the households through the water supply system. The proposed set-up requires the existence of a competent water management institution and the implementation of an appropriate management model. Possible benefits and important challenges of the proposed set-up are discussed herein, as well as a future extension including on-site treatment of greywater. It is concluded that the proposed set-up could be very beneficial to achieve sustainable usage of groundwater resources in the urban context. However, there is no experience, since the proposal has not been implemented yet.

Patterns of consumption are considered as a main driver of climate change. Consequently, the promotion of sustainable consumption features prominently on the international agenda. Education and educational organizations are considered a key instrument to contribute to a more sustainable socialization of youth consumers. Surprisingly, in light of the importance accredited to education for the promotion of sustainable consumption, specifications of educational organizations’ potential contributions remain vague and empirical research on school efforts to engage students with the notion of sustainable consumption incomprehensive and rare. The paper synthesizes conceptual contributions to the discussion of education for sustainable consumption and proposes an approach to an embedded consumer learning that blends formal and informal learning methods. In the empirical study presented, qualitative research was conducted to explore the effects of curricular and action-based education on vocational school home economics students’ perceptions of and relations to sustainable consumption. The findings suggest that while the school’s educational methods exert an influence on students’ awareness, attitudes and behavioural intentions, these only have loose implications for self-reported consumer behaviour. Also, curricular methods that students are exposed to prefer certain issues such as health and environment over others such as social and cultural aspects. Drawing on the findings of the study, implications are drawn for a more holistic approach to education for sustainable consumption in schools that accounts for both rich thematic contexts and formal and informal learning processes, seeking to better align consumption-related educational theory and practice.

Combined management of municipal or industrial wastewater and organic solid waste offers various benefits for greenhouse gas reduction and sustainable environmental management. These can be achieved by a joint treatment step, thus reducing uncontrolled methane emissions and providing sanitary handling of waste streams. The clean development mechanism (CDM) offers the opportunity to co-finance the implementation and operation of the necessary infrastructure for integrated management of appropriate wastewater and organic solid waste. Due to the additional costs in the application procedure of a CDM project, a certain amount of greenhouse gas emission reduction is required in order to achieve a viable project. The minimum magnitude for a viable CDM project is calculated for various scenarios. The results show that CDM projects are generally not applicable for small municipalities and industries. However, the required project magnitude can be achieved by bundling different project activities into one CDM project, as is the case for the combined treatment of wastewater and organic solid waste.

Bitung is a city located in North Sulawesi province in Indonesia. It is a unique city due to having three conserved forests. Covering an area of 304 km² with a population of about 175,000 inhabitants, the need for clean water for Bitung is high. In the midst of the difficulties of having clean water available, there are people who have an important role in maintaining clean water resources for the community needs in the city. These are people from Danowudu sub-district who still retain 21.5 ha of forest to maintain the availability of clean water for Bitung. Local wisdom is the community’s local knowledge used by the community in carrying out environmental conservation for the sake of harmonious interaction between man and environment. To retain the sustainability of the forest and a clean water source, the indigenous community implements customary rules that entail customary sanctions to offenders. These include prohibition of the destruction and taking of forest products, as well as the obligation to maintain the forest’s sustainability. Local wisdom of Danowudu community has been proved to be very effective in preserving the city forests so that the source of clean water for the city of Bitung is well maintained.

The current global climate change has increased the importance of environmental education substantially. Adolescents are known to have common concepts about global change that are often fragmentary or incorrect. Reinfried et al. (Geographie heute 265:24–33,

2008

) suggest special learning materials by facing students with their own conceptions and confronting them with the correct ones. In our two-day environmental education programme, combining indoor and outdoor activities in an ecological botanical garden, we implemented specially designed materials to confront students with a common misconception about the relationship of ozone layer depletion with the greenhouse effect. Other common misconceptions about global climate change and the greenhouse effect were not explicitly mentioned in the learning material. We used concept mapping as a method to reveal conceptions and potential conceptual changes. 25 high-achieving high-school students have taken part in our study so far. Initial results show that conceptions of our participants were quite in line with the literature. We also showed that presentation of information does indeed play an important role in changing students’ conceptions. Therefore, not only providing the necessary information but also confronting misconceptions should be part of any educational material.

European citizens are experiencing directly the impacts of the rapidly changing climate. In the whole of Europe, extreme situations such as heat waves, floods, storms and forest fires, as well as sea level rise, droughts and scarcity of water in the southern parts of Europe, are occurring more frequently. Both European and national targets concerning the climate change challenge need to be implemented at the local and regional level. Local and regional authorities have huge potential to fight climate change by developing and implementing climate mitigation and adaptation strategies within their scope of responsibility and through stakeholder involvement. Local and regional authorities are responsible for a variety of planning and management issues and have the possibility to implement concrete measures. They are also directly involved in awareness raising, incentive setting and providing further support to their communities to tackle climate change. The focus of the CHAMP project is to support capacity development for local authorities to combat climate change through an integrated management system. The response to climate change calls for full integration of policies and structures that few local and regional authorities in Europe have in place. It also requires involvement of stakeholders to implement successful measures. The project initiates the establishment of national support centres in four European countries for training local authorities in implementing integrated management for climate change response.