Adaptation of water resources management to climate change

Chapter 3Living with Uncertainty3.1 Waters Running Uphill: Paradigm Shifts in Water ManagementThe call to start adapting to climate change comes at a time when a fundamental shift inwater management is already underway. A wide range of economic and societal changes arecurrently taking place, influencing the demand, supply and use of water resources. Watermanagement has to deal with these new risks and new uncertainties. In recent decades, a paradigmshift has occurred in the water sector. Increasingly, sub-sector based policies, planning andsupervision is being replaced by more integrated approaches to water resources management.One of the main drivers behind this paradigm shift is the population growth and rising levels ofwater demand. The conventional “command and control” approach to water management hasbecome less effective. Larger numbers of people are at risk from floods and drought, and do nothave access to safe drinking water supplies or sanitation. This is increasingly consideredunacceptable in many countries.There is thus a growing awareness that water supply to households, industry, farmers, tourism,and the transport sector, as well as for the maintenance of river ecosystems, need to be dealt within a more integrated manner. The more integrated approaches to water resources managementutilize different institutions and people from a range of disciplines working together to solvecomplex allocation and acccess issues. They encourage different levels of government to becomemore connected and responsive to internal and societal demands, and support engaging waterusersin decision-making.“A NEW STYLE OF MANAGEMENT IS EMERGING IN WHICH AWIDER VARIETY OF MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND OPTIONS ISROUTINELY CONSIDERED.”An ecosystem approach is emerging as a promising approach to dealing with integration andsustainabilty of water management. It considers the use of a wider variety of management toolsand options. In its application it is promoting greater efficiency in water use and controlling theamount of withdrawals. It also deploys alternative non-structural measures to cope with floodsand droughts. Increased control and regulation of emissions of pollutants into surface and groundwaters are another characteristic of this management approach.The need for an ecosystem approach to water management is now increasingly beingrecognised amongst water professionals. The approach takes into account the role of environmentalgoods and services, incorporates knowledge about the functioning of the entire catchmentecosystem into planning and management, and focuses on managing both water and land resourceswithin catchments and river basins. It explicitly recognises the need to maintain river ecosystem17