Overview

Climate change is big news all over the world. Coastal water utilities and those of small island states, especially in the developing world, already bear the brunt of climate change, often to much higher degrees than their inland counterparts. This guidebook is designed to help utilities identify and assess climate change manifestations that impact adversely on their operations and formulate a credible response.

It draws principles from the Water Operators’ Partnership (WOP) between Yarra Valley Water, Melbourne, and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Sri Lanka and is targeted towards coastal and small island states. However the tool has universal application, especially in a developing economy environment such as those obtaining in Asia, Pacific, Latin America or Africa, which have limited capacities to conduct local vulnerability assessments, and where data availability and quality are often poor.

The tool is essentially a climate change vulnerability and risk assessment guide for water utility operators. It addresses the following water and wastewater issues that may be exacerbated by climate change (i) water availability from surface and groundwater resources; (ii) extremes in the form of flood and drought; and (iii) saline intrusion. It also attempts to address differences in the capacities of utilities in terms of financial and technical capabilities by offering top-down and bottom-up approaches.

Audience

Water utilities operators and managers