Event Description
Two of the greatest challenges we face as we enter the 21st century are climate change and sustainable water resource management. One of the most significant impacts of climate change on society and the environment is its potential effects on water resources. At the same time, effective water resources management is a key response to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change. The seminar will focus on how an IWRM approach can assist communities to adapt and improve resilience to changing climatic conditions. Case studies from South Africa, Bangladesh and Turkey will provide practical examples of adaptation measures within areas such as water supply, agriculture and basin management. Managing droughts and floods as well as aspects of water governance reform and institutional development will be discussed in the context of developing a strategy for adaptation within an IWRM planning cycle. Capacity building will be at the core of the seminar and working group discussions will be carried out using the recent training manual developed under the collaborative programme on capacity building in IWRM as a tool for adaptation to climate change. The seminar will result in identification of actions addressing capacity building needs for climate change adaptation and water management.

Programme

Day 1
2009-08-19 09:00 - 10:30 Opening Session
Opening Session:Reassessing our Knowledge: Are We Ready to do the Right Thing?

2009-08-19 11:00- 12:30 Morning Seminar
Climate Change Vulnerability in Water Management: Setting the Stage for Action

2009-08-19 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch Side Event
Separate Streams? Integrating Climate Change Adaptation with Water Management

2009-08-19 14:00 - 17:30 Afternoon Seminar
IWRM as a Practical Approach to Climate Change Adaptation

2009-08-19 17:45 - 18:45 Evening Side Event
Bridging the Water and Climate Change Agendas: Raising the Profile of Water in the UNFCCC Negotiations

Day 2
2009-08-20 09:00 - 10:30 Morning Seminar
Financing Mechanisms to Make Funding Available for Adaptation Measures

2009-08-20 11:00 - 12:30 Morning Seminar
From Theory to Reality: Sustainable Water Management in an Uncertain Climate

2009-08-20 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch Side Event
Why Tackling Water, Energy and Climate Change Together Makes Business Sense

2009-08-20 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch Side Event
Presenting the African-European Parliamentary Dialogue on Climate Change

2009-08-20 14:00 - 15:30 Afternoon Seminar
Getting the Politics Right - Towards Stronger Collective Action on Water and Climate Change Impacts at COP-15 and Beyond

Event Summary and Conclusions
The session addressed the topic by invited presentations, interactive discussions and a panel discussion.

The first two presentations set the scene by illustrating how climate change and water management are issues that are interlinked. Tools from Integrated Water Resources Management were then propounded for dealing with them - thus improving water management and adapting to climate change with positive feedback on each other. It was emphasised that while the river basin is an important and useful spatial scale at which to manage water, there are often circumstances where it is appropriate to work at smaller sub‐basin scales or at a regional multi‐basin level. Case studies from Bangladesh and Turkey were presented and provided practical examples of adaptation measures within basin management. From these presentations and discussions emerged the following conclusions:

• Forging partnerships and working through networks will create the diversity and creativity necessary to support land and water management adaptation to the myriad and complex problems associated with climate change.
• It is necessary to support no regret anticipatory and deliberative adaptation responses that at least address the current climate variability impact on water resources even if such variability is not technically defined as climate change. 

The meeting was made aware of a collaborative capacity building programme between Cap-Net, REDICA, Cap-Net Brasil, World Meteorological Organisation-Associated Programme on Flood Management and UNESCO-IHE which focuses on identifying drivers and impacts of climate change at a basin level; resilience-oriented approaches; how to deal with uncertainties, and the need to incorporate the stakeholders.

Plenary discussions with a panel of representatives from the convening organisations among other things brought up the issues below.

• Data on climate and hydrology is scarce in many regions and as such, capacity building would improve the skills and infrastructure required for data collection and management. Another limiting factor was the ability to use evidence based information for decision making as well as the ability to transfer data into information.
• Different types of education materials should be developed for different types of target groups. Priority target groups identified included river basin organisations, local authorities, water and related sector programme professionals at the implementation level and decision makers who affect but are outside of the water sector. In response, the group was informed that to cater for wide use, the training materials were flexible and adaptable and would be translated into different languages, and that an academic course on the subject is also offered.
• Positive impacts of climate change where they exist should not be ignored so that capacity building addresses the ability to take advantage of opportunities to improve livelihoods
• There seems to be much focus on rural populations owing to a perceived greater vulnerability.  The resilience of urban populations should also be addressed especially because disasters in urban areas have greater impact on mortality and morbidity. A counter argument advanced was that municipalities of towns and cities may be driven and supported by business interests to adapt and remain viable.