Building Climate Resilience: Putting Water Management at the Centre Dr James Dalton Water Management Adviser IUCN Water Programme Gland, Switzerland Water Day Bonn June 2010

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Ecosystems provide vital services… the ‘natural infrastructure’ for adaptation What has IWRM taught us about adaptation and the role of ecosystems? –what needs to be done –how it needs to be done Where does EbA fit into climate resilience – through building resilience of socio- economic and ecological systems...to withstand shocks and re-build ImpactInfrastructureServices drought flood storms melting ice sea-level rise lakes & upland soils floodplains wetlands groundwater mangroves & sediments storage supply flood control disaster protection coastal defence Water is at the centre...and is critical for building resilience Water, ecosystems & climate change

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Resilience in practice 1. Diversity 2. Sustainable Infrastructure & Technologies 3. Self-Organisation4. Learning economy livelihoods nature & services engineering responses natural infrastructure sustainable & adaptable mgt participatory governance empowerment adaptive institutions knowledge & skills climate information new adaptive strategies Tacana Attapeu Pangani KYB / L Chad Volta Mekong Okavango BASIM

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Climate vulnerable basin weak hydrological buffering narrow economic & livelihood dependency infrastructure that can’t cope infrastructure that impairs hydrological buffering and livelihood diversification vulnerable people not empowered to act: centralised decision making conflict destroys coordination ossified institutions new information & knowledge not available or in use

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Resilience shift: KYB / Lake Chad drought aggravating poverty failed dam & irrigation projects siltation & weed infestation rising conflict paralysis shared information consensus management plan pilot ecosystem & livelihood restoration conflict resolution water charter: participatory governance

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Climate resilient river basin buffering moderates the hydrograph diverse livelihoods and economy sustainable infrastructure portfolios: engineered & natural infrastructure management for watershed services and economic diversification vulnerable people empowered to act: governance enables self organisation adaptive institutions, set up for learning accessible information, knowledge & skills

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Resilience shift: Tacanà, Guatemala deforested watersheds degraded farming systems social upheaval downstream disaster weak coordination local coordination of priorities landscape restoration & diversification social entrepreneurship municipal – provincial liaison disaster planning

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Key Messages 1.Build supporting mechanisms now for traction on-the-ground: –Preparation – capacity building, institutional readiness –Improve cross-sectoral coordination using water and IWRM approaches –Develop implementation partnerships –Support absorption by the Parties 2.Support the planning agenda with learning and demonstration – turn the Nairobi Guiding Principles into action 3.Work to support the Parties on building resilience as outlined in the Chairs Text on Adaptation 4.Focus on adaptation within wider development frameworks - –adaptation will be more effective where it uses and builds on lessons from WRM –resilience is built on diversity

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE GOAL Ecosystem-based strategies for climate resilience implemented 1. Resilient development & climate adaptation 2. Adaptive governance & self organisation 3. Learning, leadership & networking 4. Infrastructure economics 5. Policy coherence 6. Programme coordination & communication Our Developing Approach

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Thank you