Water, Adaptation And Climate Change

 Adaptation to climate change will to a very large extent involve water. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the human and natural world and this will continue for the foreseeable future. Water will be the single most important factor involved in adaptation because of three reasons. One is because of how biologically important it is in the processes of life, two is its value in all economic sectors. Water is an invaluable component of both the natural and human world.

The third reason is because water is affected by climate change. Rising temperatures occasioned by increasing amounts of atmospheric greenhouse gases interfere with the hydrological cycle at both the local and global levels.

Accordingly higher temperatures are already causing increased glacier and ice melt and interrupting the processes of the cryosphere (the frozen parts of the Earth). Ice sheets both in polar and mountainous regions are melting at higher and faster rates. This melt is what gives rise to rivers originating from mountains which provide water for all human life and natural ecosystems dependent on it from upstream to downstream.

The melting of these places endangers the habitat of unique flora and fauna that thrive only on icy areas. It threatens biodiversity. Besides that, the quantities of water locked up are being lost gradually due to extreme heat, and not being replaced fast enough.

Rising temperatures, heatwaves and droughts increase water demand for consumption for wildlife and people. Likewise, it increases water demand in all sectors.

Climate impacts such as droughts and heat waves cause a loss of soil moisture because of increased evaporation rates. This affects agriculture and soil biodiversity. Not only so, but when it gets hotter than normal more water is needed by crops in farms. There’s a heightened water demand. Dried out ground also loosens soil structure and leads to loss of fertile topsoil because of wind erosion. Higher temperatures reduce surface and ground water resources. Floods wash off topsoil and mix fresh water and waste water. And sea level rise causes encroachment of freshwater sources by saline flows contaminating drinking water, impacting agriculture and thereby increasing costs associated with removing salt from seawater or in seeking water elsewhere.

Women and girls at a water point. Image- Aimee/iwaria

All these climate change impacts increase water scarcity and trigger higher demand.

They also activate or worsen conflict and migration, and affect economic growth.

In adaptation to climate change in the water sector, various approaches are needed. First is water conservation. Much of the water that is lost is due to wastefulness. At the domestic level, it is necessary to use only what is needed. Switch off taps when not in use. Put water in containers rather than running the tap continuously.

Installation of automatic water meters that control the amount of water released in one go can be implemented. Used efficiently, these meters can generate results. They can create income for the government and community. They aid water conservation, and create a culture of saving water, and help create awareness by using financial means.

Water recycling is necessary at both domestic and industrial levels. A given amount water can have multipurpose uses. Laundry water can be used for cleaning. Kitchen water can be used for gardening etc.

Curb water losses during transport by use of better infrastructure e.g. removing faulty meters, better monitoring and policing to avoid water theft, and use of better quality materials to prevent leakage.

At industrial level, water is used in products, in cleaning and as a coolant. This water can be recycled as often as is necessary. Treatment of wastewater before releasing it back to the environment makes it viable for usage by other water users. Industries can also invest in research on environmentally safe alternatives to water as a coolant.

As much as possible, waste water should be treated (cleaned), recycled and brought back to natural water flows in order to alleviate water demand. Storm water can also be cleaned and stored in reservoirs to be used during dry seasons.

In the agricultural sector, perhaps the most important for various reasons, water is an important part of crop growth. But with climate variability, water scarcity is going to be common globally. The measures used in agriculture to deal with water stress include diversification of both crop species and crop varieties. Different crops can be grown at differing times of the year, and more tolerant but high yielding varieties grown instead of traditional varieties. Crop calendars indicating the flowering, fruiting and maturation times (lifecycle) of different crops will be crucial information that can be used to better adapt to climate impacts on water in the agricultural sector. Diverse crops use different amounts of water. Agroforestry can help increase soil water retention capacity and shade the soil preventing excess evaporation.

Mixed farming refers to rearing animals and growing crops in the same place. The two have different water needs and can be used lift each other economically. It can also mean mixing aquaculture with rice farming. Fish farming can be practiced on flooded rice paddies while the rice continues to grow. To reduce water loss, rice paddies can be interchangeably drained and rewetted.

All this makes the best use of water while increasing returns.

Drip irrigation can be used to conserve water. Rainwater harvesting can be used to store water during seasons of high water availability, to be used during droughts. More areas need to be brought under irrigation in order to satisfy food security needs. Construction of dams and pans can be used to conserve and store water, underground tanks and reservoirs can be used similarly.

While reservoirs and pans are for irrigation of crops, cage farming of fish can be introduced at the same time.

Increasing soil water retention is important and can be done by mulching which prevents evaporation of water, and application of manure which increases organic matter. This augments the ability of soil to hold water. Organic matter increases the infiltration and percolation of water.

Insuring crops as a financial measure is important in dealing with the ravages of drought or floods brought about by a changing climate impacting water.

In terms of management, a different approach is required for water resources. One of them is creating governance structures that cover a water body and its physical basin notwithstanding political boundaries. Plenty of water resources are transboundary at regional or national levels, yet water flows follow physical and geological structures and so don’t respect manmade boundaries.  This means better results will be experienced if institutes created manage the shared resource as a whole, from source to discharge.

The next point therefore is cooperation. Cooperation between different levels of government, including local, regional, national and international stages.  Often each country has a development plan for its part of a water body suited to the needs of its population. Yet activities in one part of the resource impacts all the other parts. For example, activities upstream affect water availability and quality downstream. Synergy is therefore needed.

Technology transference and knowledge transfer between different regulatory bodies, scientific institutes and government bodies is key to proper water management. New technology can help save water. However for economic and security purposes, this information is sometimes kept secret.

Innovation and research is a continually open field, and innovations in water conservation and treatment can go a long way. Domestic filtration systems are low cost and save water. Use of solar panels to provide energy to pump water, and constructing panels over water canals to prevent evaporation and cool the same panels is a creative solution. It saves water and provides energy while mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Advanced weather forecasting and climate modeling is another method that could help manage water resources effectively. This information can be used to prepare communities, economic sectors and nations on the coming trends of water and rainfall availability and so help in preparedness. Sharing of this and other data between concerned groups fosters growth and helps adaptation.

Better reporting, collecting of data, monitoring and record keeping also helps by aiding in studying trends in water demand, supply and consumption patterns. The same can be used to forecast the future and help in planning. Early warning systems play a part in awareness of climate adversities and so help make the right security (safety), economic and agricultural choices.

Investments in flexible but hardy drainage systems helps deal with flash floods and unexpected heavy rainfall.

Public education campaigns to create awareness on the necessity of water adaptation and conservation is important. Ultimately, a society is made up of its values and if water adaptation can permeate the consciousness of a nation, then better water management practices will become the norm.

Public participation of all stakeholders and this inclusive especially of the users is vital. Indigenous groups and local communities, women and girls (they are in most contact with the environment) and management authorities should all be involved. The intention is to find the best approach that is beneficial to everyone but takes care of the natural environment. This should not leave behind scientists either. Such approaches ensure that a solution does not negatively affect any particular sector. For example, dams can benefit agriculture but depress fisheries or the natural environment. This is maladaptation and is why both bottom up and top down approaches are necessary to find consensus.

Fish lifecycles e.g. hatching, migration are controlled by water phenomena such as flooding of rivers and changes in water temperature. That’s why widespread consultation in the water sector is necessary to avoid negative impacts.

Protection of wetlands and watersheds using both formal and informal methods can be employed. Community policing and dedicated efforts by administrative bodies working together can help conserve water. Specific law enforcement units can be created to protect water resources.

Planting of trees is one of the biggest adaptation measures pertaining to water. To prevent maladaptation and dangerous threats to biodiversity, tree species used should be indigenous and suited to the region. Trees have plenty of ecological benefits including water retention and prevention of excess evaporation. As forests, they attract rain. They also absorb excess flood water. Maximum effort should be put in to protect mature forests which are the source of rivers while the same should be done to ensure afforestation efforts are successful i.e. that planted tree seedlings reach maturity to full grown trees. Planting forests also combats desertification and restores arid and semi-arid areas and other degraded lands.

Restoration of floodplains and watersheds means for example outlawing physical development, encroachment and agriculture in these areas because they interfere with the natural flow of rivers, lakes and associated dependent wildlife and communities.

This also touches on restoration of crucial wetlands such as mangroves under threat from human caused destruction.

Laws and policies are a legal means that can be used to govern water use and protect the general public, small consumers and future generations from selfish interests. They ensure equity of water resource use between nature and people, and between different sectors and users. Competent management bodies can regulate this through capable regulatory systems, licenses and permits. This enables proper monitoring of water use.

At a larger scale, bilateral and multilateral agreements on water consumption and use of shared water bodies might become necessary.

Land rights and water rights are vital because if a community is to be sensitized on water adaptation, they have to have a say in control and development of their lands and water resources therein. Communities surrounding water bodies should have legal right in the utilization of water and benefit from the said water supply.

Protecting water infrastructure e.g. transport systems and treatment plants from climate vagaries is crucial. As necessary, a water price (trade) and control can be instituted. To inculcate the culture of conserving water, a price can be put for a certain amount of water. When there’s a financial cost, people will be more conscientious. This can be applied to industries and the money channeled back to conserving the water system, for social good or to the public coffers.

Sustainable management of aquifers and control of groundwater extraction refers to permits for use. An aquifer is a rock formation that bears water. When this rock layer meets the surface of the ground, this is called a spring. Aquifers are drilled to provide water in the form of boreholes and wells. However, too many of these will depress the aquifer and cause land subsidence. This also threatens future water supply. In order to protect groundwater, development that covers the ground can be outlawed over a particular area. This clears the way for aquifer recharge by rainfall and surface water.

There should also be policies that regulate spacing and number of boreholes and ensure fair access of a community to the water of any borehole drilled in their midst.

Changing strategy from drought response to drought management is another one. As the world faces more variability in terms of climate impacts, drought prone areas should now move from reacting to droughts to preparedness towards managing droughts. That is, droughts will be a more common occurrence and so need to be managed in advance in a well thought out and structured manner. This touches on better planning, capacity building, sensitization and funding.

All the above will require dedicated funding to implement. This can be from budgetary allocations, private or public finance. It can also be a part of corporate social responsibility. Alternatively it can be from developed countries.

In water adaptation, different sectors should be involved because water is a common good and a public good. Therefore approaches should comprise of multi- sectoral cooperation such as between forestry, agriculture, energy, domestic use, industrial use and tourism.

Above all, include climate change and water adaptation in all development plans. It should be imperative in all economic sectors. Adaptation is indispensable in an already warming world and so should be a must in national climate plans. To go a step further, national adaptation plans should be carried out with utmost diligence.

The most important truth is, adaptation is impossible without including water in all sectors. Therefore, plans should be water-centric, taking into account the fundamental role of water in climate change.

The overarching solution to all this is to simply act on climate. Cutting greenhouse emissions will automatically start slowing climate change, stabilizing the hydrological cycle and reducing impacts on the water sector.