ALBERT

Note: TABLE OF CONTENTS: Preface. - A summary of key issues addressed in this document. - 1: Brief Overview of the Science on Water and Climate. - 1.1 Introduction. - 1.2 Climatic Information. - 1.2.1 Current expectations of future climate in light of uncertainties. - 1.2.2 Anticipated global climate change and water resources. - 1.2.3 Regional climate change. - 1.3 Water Resources. - 1.3.1 Why do water resources matter?. - 1.3.2 What do we know from past experiences of climate variability and change?. - 1.3.3 What do we expect for the future?. - 1.3.4 How reliable is our information?. - 1.3.5 How do we prepare for the future?. - 1.4 Impacts of Climate Change on Water-Related Extremes: Background. - 1.5 Floods. - 1.5.1 Why do floods matter?. - 1.5.2 What do we know from the past about floods?. - 1.5.3 What do we expect for the future?. - 1.5.4 What are our information needs on flow data?. - 1.5.5 How do we prepare for the future?. - 1.6 Droughts. - 1.6.1 Why do droughts matter?. - 1.6.2 What do we know from the past about droughts?. - 1.6.3 What do we expect for the future?. - 1.6.4 What are our information needs?. - 1.6.5 How do we prepare for the future?. - 1.7 Concluding Thoughts. - 2: Coping with Climate Variability and Climate Change in Water Resources. - 2.1 Introduction. - 2.2 Who are Water Managers and What do They Manage?. - 2.3 Integrated Water Resources Management as Prerequisite for Coping and Adaptation. - 2.3.1 What is IWRM?. - 2.3.2 Spatial and temporal scale issues in IWRM. - 2.3.3 IWRM in developing countries. - 2.4 Coping Strategies for Dealing with Uncertainties Associated with Climate Variability and Change. - 2.4.1 Water resources engineering. - 2.4.2 Agriculture. - 2.4.3 Climate forecasting. - 2.4.4 Indigenous coping strategies. - 2.4.5 Approaches to adapting to and coping with climate variability and change. - 2.5 Concluding Thoughts. - 3: A Conceptual Framework for Identifying ‘Hot Spots’ of Vulnerability to Climate Variability and Climate Change. - 3.1 ‘Hot Spots’: Regions of High Vulnerability. - 3.2 Identifying and Assessing Hot Spots of Water Resources Vulnerability with Respect to Climate Change. - 3.3 Related Research That Can Contribute to Hot Spot Assessment. - 3.4 Development Needed for Improved Vulnerability Assessment. - 3.5 First Steps Towards a New Framework for Vulnerability Assessment of Water Resources. - 3.5.1 The suggested framework. - 3.5.2 Hot spots at different spatial and temporal scales. - 3.6 Examples of Applying the Framework. - 3.6.1 The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basin. - 3.6.2 Over-abstracted aquifers in the Mediterranean. - 3.7 Concluding Thoughts. - 4: Policy Analysis and Institutional Frameworks in Climate and Water. - 4.1 Introduction. - 4.2 Evolution of a Political Framework for Water Resource Management. - 4.3 Critical Review of Present Approaches and Policy Responses with Regard to IWRM. - 4.4 Institutional Decision-Making on Water and Climate in the North and South. - 4.4.1 Data and decisions. - 4.4.2 North-South collaboration and dialogue. - 4.4.3 National and regional power structures. - 4.5 Barriers to Success in Current Practices in Water Resources Management. - 4.6 Identification of Solutions. - 4.6.1 The need for new paradigms. - 4.6.2 Economic stability and access to markets. - 4.6.3 Institutional capacity for water management. - 4.6.4 Participation in water management. - 4.6.5 Information sharing and awareness. - 4.6.6 The facilitating role of government. - 4.6.7 Co-operative agreements. - 4.7 Challenges and Recommendations. - 4.7.1 The political debate on ‘the poor’. - 4.7.2 The political debate on climate change. - 4.7.3 Institutional capacity building. - 4.8 Concluding Thoughts. - Appendix A: Summary of Findings from IPCC (2001) Reports on the Theme of Water and Climate. - A.1 Preamble. - A.2 Introduction. - A.3. Current State of Climate Change and Water Research Since the IPCC’s Second Assessment Report of 1995. - A.4 Climate Scenarios. - A.5 Climate Modelling. - A.6 Effects on the Hydrological Cycle. - A.6.1 Precipitation. - A.6.2 Evapotranspiration. - A.6.3 Soil moisture. - A.6.4 Groundwater recharge. - A.6.5 River flows. - A.6.6 Other Hydrological Responses. - A.7 Effects of Climate Change on Water Withdrawals. - A.8 Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources. - A.9 Adaptation Options and Management Implications. - Appendix B: Abbreviations and Acronyms. - Appendix C: Glossary of Terms. - Appendix D: List of Authors and their Affiliations. - References.