Water information systems for climate change adaptation
Key points
- The water sector is particularly impacted by climate change; identifying adaptation measures supposes a capacity to regularly assess the vulnerability of water uses and ecosystems to climate change;
- Data collection should cover all aspects of the hydrological cycle, but also include data to characterize the present situation of water uses and the ecosystem, and to estimate the socio-economic impact of the changes;
- Adaptation to climate change requires a capacity to pool and process data produced by numerous stakeholders.
Water is the main driver of climate change, with significant impacts in many sectors, including agriculture, energy, fisheries, tourism, health and biodiversity. In addition to rising sea levels, climate change affects temperatures and rainfall patterns, impacting the availability of water resources available for its various uses and risks related to water (e.g. floods).
The need for integrated water resources management that supports the understanding of interactions among the different components of the hydrological cycle and the different projects and users places a greater burden on information suppliers. Information needs to be sufficient, relevant and intelligible for the various stakeholders in the different water-related sectors (e.g. navigation, hydropower, tourism, public health, agriculture, drinking water facilities). Thus a range of information is needed simultaneously, and has to be presented in different forms for different users.
Adaptation to climate change requires a regular assessment of vulnerability (water uses, ecosystems) in a continuous process and on the basis of relevant indicators for decision-making.
The quality of these assessments and the tools for monitoring national adaptation to climate change are "largely determined by the availability of data, the tracking and evaluation capability, and the country's ability to bring together producers and users of relevant climate information".
It is recommended to rely on integrated assessments at the basin level (rivers, lakes and aquifers), given that impacts occurring in one part of a basin can be felt in other very distant parts.
As a consequence, access to comprehensive data at a general, national level across each basin is essential for identifying vulnerabilities and impacts, and developing adaptation strategies and scenarios, and "Collecting and sharing necessary data information and models concerning the entire water cycle must therefore be ensured".
The process of specifying information needs should be based on an analysis of the water management issues related to climate change. Data and information needs should be defined for identifying:
- Potential effects of climate change on water resources under natural regimes;
- Requirements regarding the quality and quantity of water resources for specific uses (e.g. drinking water, irrigation, recreation) and functions of water resources (e.g. maintenance of aquatic life);
- Possible impacts on these uses and functions caused by climate change;
- Measures taken to address the impacts or improve the use or functioning of water resources, including environmental aspects (ecological status).
Adaptation strategies are based not only on data related to water management but also on socio-economic information and health hazards. Socio-economic information should help describe social vulnerability (e.g. risk maps “weighted” by population density, climate-dependent socio-economic sectors, health infrastructure and services, coping capacities). Health hazards may include factors that affect water quality (e.g. concentration of chemicals in water) and food safety, extreme weather events and changing meteorological conditions.