United Nations Member States face the “no size fits all” challenge when implementing adaptation measures and defining actions to face climate change impacts and water-related disasters, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In this context, bottom-up approaches present an alternative for resilient water management in the face of climatic uncertainty.
A pioneering initiative led by UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP), Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA), and International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) organized the successful webinar series Adaptation in an Age of Uncertainty: Tools for Climate-Resilient Water Management Approaches. With over 2,800 participants from 142 countries, the series aimed to introduce the benefits of bottom-up approaches to local-level water management professionals and policymakers.
Following the webinar series, a publication has been released, Approaching Climate and Disasters in an Age of Uncertainty: Case studies and insights for the High-level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP), which compiles global case studies that exemplify innovative water management strategies and climate risk assessment approaches.
The publication highlights the practicality and effectiveness of bottom-up approaches in building resilience and offers successful examples from various countries to demonstrate their potential to mitigate hydroclimatic risks and enhance adaptive capacities at the local level.