Adaptation of water resources management to climate change

for instance, is still a widespread phenomenon despite a decade or more of working towards moreintegrated approaches. It often inhibits a more holistic approach towards water managementrequired to deal with the increasing pressures from increasing demands and uncertainty.In developing adaptive capacities it is important to overcome the great inequities that existamongst and within societies, and to recognise that adaptive capacity is very unequally distributedboth globally and within countries. Countries with limited financial and human resources, poorinfrastructure, unstable and weak institutions and inequitable access to resources are likely tohave little capacity to adapt. 1 Countries and communities that find themselves in this situationwill be vulnerable to climate change, just as they are to other stresses. Adaptive capacities aregenerally considered to be high in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. In muchof Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Small Island States these capacities are considered to below. 1 Large differences in adaptive capacity may also exist within countries. In many instancesindividuals, families, communities, and local governments lack the capacity to engage fully inadapting to new threats such as climate change. Adapting water management to climate changewill thus require building the capacities of both institutions and people. In many countries theylack awareness, information, knowledge, know-how and a network that can support them inincorporating climate change in their decision-making and water management. It is for this reasonthat the building of adaptive capacity is a priority for many countries in preparing to respond toclimate change. 1Hazard mitigation counseling at a disaster relief center, USA30