1 Introduction
5
and the most critical issues, avoiding the risk of spreading limited resources over
too large an area or addressing too many issues at once. It is also critical that transboundary water resource management addresses multiple transboundary basins that
are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change simultaneously (Chaps. 6, 15, 17 and
19).
Management of the water-related impacts of climate change requires alignment
between national development objectives and water availability. Because of the difficulty of accurately predicting climate change impacts on water management (IPCC
2014, 2018), plans must be structured with sufficient flexibility to facilitate adaptation
to a changing climate over the years (Chaps. 18, 19, 20 and 21). This requires access
to relevant and up-to-date climate change information for key water-related development planning departments. It is also critical to integrate local resource development
and management plans into broader-scale planning. Given the particular vulnerability
of women to climate change impacts, development and climate change response plans
must proactively address gender differences, and incorporate strategies to protect and
support women, girls and children in particular (Chaps. 15 and 20).
Substantial increases in financing are also needed to improve adaptive rural household and land and water management system capacities and resilience. As public
resources in African countries are limited, financing options in addition to government sources are needed, including from private sources and public sector funding
from developed countries.
3.2 Invest in Ecological Infrastructure
As a first line of defense, investments in natural infrastructure, for example,
the protection and rehabilitation of aquifers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands, can
contribute significantly to increasing resilience to climate change. Vital ecosystem
functions and services are under great pressure from population growth, energy
demands, exploitive land-use practices and other factors, resulting in deforestation and land degradation. Climate change compounds these challenges. Thus,
increasing land and water management resilience calls for integrated ecosystembased approaches, including sustainable land-use management, the designation of
water protected areas and effective management of natural water storage systems
(Chaps. 5, 6 and 21).
It is also crucial to secure vital freshwater ecosystem functions through appropriate environmental flow and reserve regulation (Chaps. 2 and 19). The objective
of such regulation is to secure an appropriate flow of rivers and the reserves of
other aquatic ecosystems (in particular groundwater reservoirs and lakes) through
appropriate water allocation, regulation of dam operations, etc. Although stakeholders sometimes interpret such approaches as being in direct competition with
human development needs, they in fact present an opportunity to maintain important
water-related ecosystem services for the overall benefit of society.
5
and the most critical issues, avoiding the risk of spreading limited resources over
too large an area or addressing too many issues at once. It is also critical that transboundary water resource management addresses multiple transboundary basins that
are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change simultaneously (Chaps. 6, 15, 17 and
19).
Management of the water-related impacts of climate change requires alignment
between national development objectives and water availability. Because of the difficulty of accurately predicting climate change impacts on water management (IPCC
2014, 2018), plans must be structured with sufficient flexibility to facilitate adaptation
to a changing climate over the years (Chaps. 18, 19, 20 and 21). This requires access
to relevant and up-to-date climate change information for key water-related development planning departments. It is also critical to integrate local resource development
and management plans into broader-scale planning. Given the particular vulnerability
of women to climate change impacts, development and climate change response plans
must proactively address gender differences, and incorporate strategies to protect and
support women, girls and children in particular (Chaps. 15 and 20).
Substantial increases in financing are also needed to improve adaptive rural household and land and water management system capacities and resilience. As public
resources in African countries are limited, financing options in addition to government sources are needed, including from private sources and public sector funding
from developed countries.
3.2 Invest in Ecological Infrastructure
As a first line of defense, investments in natural infrastructure, for example,
the protection and rehabilitation of aquifers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands, can
contribute significantly to increasing resilience to climate change. Vital ecosystem
functions and services are under great pressure from population growth, energy
demands, exploitive land-use practices and other factors, resulting in deforestation and land degradation. Climate change compounds these challenges. Thus,
increasing land and water management resilience calls for integrated ecosystembased approaches, including sustainable land-use management, the designation of
water protected areas and effective management of natural water storage systems
(Chaps. 5, 6 and 21).
It is also crucial to secure vital freshwater ecosystem functions through appropriate environmental flow and reserve regulation (Chaps. 2 and 19). The objective
of such regulation is to secure an appropriate flow of rivers and the reserves of
other aquatic ecosystems (in particular groundwater reservoirs and lakes) through
appropriate water allocation, regulation of dam operations, etc. Although stakeholders sometimes interpret such approaches as being in direct competition with
human development needs, they in fact present an opportunity to maintain important
water-related ecosystem services for the overall benefit of society.