Managing disaster risks and water under climate change in Central Asia and Caucasus
Climate change is expected to have profound impacts on water resources and natural hazards in Central Asia and South Caucasus. This has serious implications for the management of water resources and natural hazards in both regions. This publication is the result of a joint learning journey involving three thematic networks of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) – Climate Change and Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Water – and interested SDC offices and partners. The basic idea was to create the opportunity for participants to address common challenges in a collaborative manner while focusing on a specific region or context.
This compilation presents the conclusions emerging from the discussions and the workshop, along with the three thematic input papers:
- State of the knowledge on water resources and natural hazards under climate change in Central Asia and South Caucasus
- Actors, approaches and cooperation related to water management and natural hazards under climate change in Central Asia and Caucasus
- Pathways to sustainable solutions for managing water and reducing disaster risks under climate change in Central Asia and Caucasus
Key messages from this learning journey are:
- The impacts of climate change on natural hazards and water availability must be well understood, communicated and integrated into decision making and planning
- DRR matters
- A proactive approach to DRR and climate change is financially sound
- Cross-sectoral and integrated approaches are needed
- A culture of cooperation must be rebuilt
- Local cross-border perspectives should be adopted
- Existing technical innovations need to be used and disseminated
- Private sector expansion can be part of the solution
- Governance is key to climate change adaptation, integrated disaster risk management, and water management
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