Adaptation of water resources management to climate change

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ADAPTATION OPTIONS FOR WEST AFRICAThere are numerous relevant initiatives in West Africa that relate to climate change in general orto water and the environment, according to participants attending the recent Regional Dialogueon Water, Wetlands and Climate Change in West Africa. While some initiatives are research activities,others are undertaken as part of the implementation of international conventions on desertification,wetlands, biodiversity and climate change. A good starting point is therefore to build on andcomplement what is already being done. In this regard, efforts should be made to develop synergieswith existing international treaties and conventions, in order to ensure that climate change issuesare adequately reflected in national action plans and strategies. Efforts to increase the availableresources for data collection and analysis should also be supported, in order to increase the region’scapacity in climate impact analysis and climate change forecasting.One of the core elements of the adaptation strategy identified during the Regional Dialogue is thestrengthening of the capacity of government actors and other entities. An action plan is needed toimprove the sub-region’s capacity to adapt to climate change impacts on water resources andecosystems. Participants agreed on the following objectives for adaptation:1) Improving knowledge on the region’s climate, water resources, and ecosystems, and on theimpacts of climate change and variability on these different elements.2) Strengthening the networks of data collection for improved quality and quantity of information,especially in the areas of climate, hydrology, water quality, and water uses.3) Strengthening the information base for forecasting and early warning to prevent or minimizethe consequences of climate variability.4) Strengthening the capacity of the basin organizations and other sub-regional institutions involvedin managing the effects of climate variability.5) Promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) together with the ecosystemmanagement approach.6) Increasing decision makers’ awareness and support governments in their efforts to implementenvironmental conventions (including the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Convention toCombat Desertification, and the Framework Convention on Climate Change).7) Strengthening capacities at all levels on aspects related to water and climate.8) Promoting any form of adaptation that ensures better management of water resources andecosystems in the sub-region.Participants stressed the need to build on and develop synergies with other major initiatives underwayin the sub-region, including the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the AfricanMinisterial Conference on Water (AMCOW), the European Initiative on Water, the African Funds onWater, and the Canadian Initiative on Water.49
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Adaptation of water resources management to climate change

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