Adapting to Climate Change: Assessing the World Bank Group ...

3. Dealing with Climate VariabilityHighlights Improved monitoring of water consumption may help improve irrigation efficiency, boosting currentand long-term resilience of water resource management. Some evidence suggests that sustainable land and water management can boost livelihoodoutcomes. Household-level agricultural index insurance has had limited uptake except where heavilysubsidized. Large-scale drought relief and mitigation projects have built institutions and in some cases yieldedmeasureable reductions in drought vulnerability. Bank-supported financial innovations have helped countries deal with immediate post-disasterliquidity needs. ACV projects need to be monitored for sustainability and to ensure against unintended maladaptiveimpacts.3.1 People have long dealt with climate variability (Figure 3.1) but in many cases arefar from being optimally adapted to it. The World Bank Group has invested in projectsthat try to close this gap. Although not designated as adaptation projects, they have anestablished record that offers lessons for today’s climate agenda. This chapter looks attwo areas that encompass much of this newly relevant experience: agriculture(including drought management) and disaster risk management. It concludes with anassessment of efforts to boost hydromet services, which are important underpinningsfor both areas.Agriculture and Droughts3.2 Climate variability challenges the livelihoods of the 3 billion rural people in thedeveloping world. Sensitivities to current conditions differ by agroclimatic zone andagricultural systems. Rainfed agriculture is sensitive to climate variability—too little ortoo much rainfall, heat waves, and frosts. This is especially true in the drylands, hometo 2 billion people, many of them poor, and many dependent on agriculture. Hererainfall is sparsest, rainfall variability is highest, and drought incidence is high. Climatechange is very likely to exacerbate variability in rainfall. Irrigated agriculture—especially large-scale irrigation—is an adaptation response to low or variable rainfall.31