The Issues

Climate change, degradation of water resource systems and disaster risk together represent some of the greatest challenges to sustainable development facing human society over coming decades. These issues can not be viewed or addressed in isolation. Climate change will affect both water resource systems and the risk of climate related disasters. Degradation and depletion of water resources already represents one of the greatest challenges facing development, poverty alleviation and environmental protection in many parts of the world. Changes in climate will exacerbate such challenges. Increases in the intensity/frequency of extreme events such as floods, droughts and storms are also projected to occur as a consequence of climate change. Already over 70% of disasters are related to climatic events. As global warming proceeds, extreme events capable of causing disaster will also increase. Such extreme events and other natural hazards are, as the “Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters” (http://www.unisdr.org/eng/hfa/hfa.htm) recognizes, already a major factor contributing to poverty and vulnerability in many regions and among many populations.