How to Climate Proof Water & Sanitation Services for the Urban Poor

Climate change has many uncertainties, but in general we can expect increases
in temperatures, the intensity of precipitation, storms, droughts and extreme
events; changes in average precipitation are less certain but will become more
erratic, shifting in season. For water and sanitation providers climate change
will tend to exacerbate or relieve existing vulnerabilities rather than creating
new issues. The impact on individual projects depends upon their particular
vulnerabilities. To adapt, water and sanitation providers need to increase the
robustness of their systems by assessing the impacts across multiple scenarios.
Populations will be impacted by climate change in other ways too and this may
affect their ability to access water and sanitation services. The impacts must be
considered within the context of population growth, urbanisation and
environmental degradation. For providers, the most pragmatic approach is to
ensure resilience to environmental change and preparedness for disasters.