UNESCO’ multidisciplinary approach to develop adaptation strategies:

The impact of glacier retreat in the Andes: International Multidisciplinary Network for Adaptation Strategies

Siegfried Demuth

International Hydrological Programme

Hydrological Systems and Global Change Section

UNESCO, Paris

How will Climate effect water

Availability?

Can we predict the future

changes which are responsive

to “user” needs?

Wallling 2008

Human activity has increased dramatically

over the last 60 years

Steffen et al. (2004)

Wagener et al (2010)

Human activity now rivals

geologic‐scale forces

[Kieffer, 2009], with a

footprint that is deepening

and widening rapidly

across the planet

Changing Glaciers

Impacts Who cares?

1. landscape tourism, safety

2. culture/spirituality mountain societies

3. regional water availability systems downriver

4. global sea level costal societies/infrastructures

5. climate indicators (instruments) science → society

Georg Kaser, 2011

Strengthening global water initiatives to

Sustain world water governance

The IHP oval is in bold for

readability only, since it overlaps

with so many other initiatives. The

acronyms identify various global

water initiatives, and their

placement is a schematic attempt

to situate them according to their

primary institutional aims.

By: Varady, Robert G., Katherine

Meehan, John Rodda, Matthew

Iles-Shih, and Emily McGovern

(2008)

UNESCO’S Intergovernmental

Scientific Cooperative Programme in

Hydrology and Water Resources

The International Hydrological Programme (IHP) is the only

Intergovernmental programme of the UN system devoted to

water research, water resources management, and

education and capacity building.

The programme, tailored to Member State’s needs, is

implemented in six- year phases- allowing it to adapt to a

rapidly changing world.

Water dependencies:

Systems under Stress and Societal Response

Water at UNESCO:

"The three plus one pillars"

• International Hydrological Programme- IHP

IHP Secretariat : Paris+ Field Offices + Regional settings

National Committees in member states - 161

UN World Water Assessment Programme:

periodical compilation of the World Water Development Report(WWDR) four issues (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012)

Network of 26+ (more in the pipeline) IHP Water Centers

UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education:Postgraduate education for water professionals (Delft, The Netherlands)

IHP VIII (2014-2021)“Water Security:

Responses to Local, Regional, and Global

Challenges”

Water-relatedDisasters and Hydrological

Change

Groundwaterin a ChangingEnvironment

AddressingWater

Scarcity and Quality

Water and Human

Settlements of the Future

Ecohydrology, Engineering Harmony for a Sustainable

World

Water Education,

Key for Water Security

Water Security: Responses to Local, Regional, and Global Challenges

IHP initiative:

Assessment of Snow, Glacier

and Water Resources

T h e n e e d f o r a w o r l d w i d e

inventory of existing perennial ice

and snow masses was f i rs t

c o n s i d e r e d d u r i n g t h e

International Hydrological Decade

(1965- 1974) declared by UNESCO

• Which of the river systems are most affected by snow-and glacier-melt contributions to streamflow?

• Will the relative importance of snow and glacier melt compared to rainfall change with global warming?

• How many people within each river basin will be affected by changes to river regimes and to what extent will their lives and livelihoods be affected?

Series of Workshop and meetings undertaken within the

framework of

Working Group on Snow, Ice and

Glaciers (GTNH)-LAC

Regional Workshop: Melting snow and glaciers in the Andes:

Science, technology and policy for adaptation to cope with

complexity in the context of climate change

12-15 September 2011, Santiago, Chile

Inception workshop

The Impact of Glacier Retreat in the Andes: International

Multidisciplinary Network for Adaptation Strategies

Lima , Peru 29-30, May 2012

28-30 November 2006, Almaty

Kazakhstan

Regional Workshop:

Assessment of Snow-Glacier and Water Resources in Asia

The Impact of Glacier Retreat in the Andes: International

Multidisciplinary Network for Adaptation Strategies

2012-2015

Objectives• Reduce uncertainty through downscaling and customizing global

climate change scenarios and to assess water availability and

demand scenarios for the Andean region (Case studies);

• Raise awareness and enhance capacities to assess, monitor and

communicate the impacts of and responses to climate change on

natural and socio-economic environments at local, national and

regional levels;

• Develop strategies and policy guidelines considering

vulnerabilities, opportunities and potentials for adaptation, with

particular reference to strengthening the role of local communities;

• Facilitate and strengthen ongoing research activities in the region;

• Develop education and training activities

Group A: Climate impact assessment: snow,

glacier, and water resources

• training workshop on climate trend analysis and

downscaling of climate scenarios and;

• field course on glacier monitoring and mass

balance.

Group B: Vulnerability assessment

• Environmental and non-environmental drivers

of vulnerability;

• key determinants of vulnerability and

challenges for adaptive capacity;

• identification of land use changes and socio-

economic conditions as a result of climate

change;

• Identification of most vulnerable communities

and groups.

Group C: Policy assessment

Review current and future national adaptation

strategies and their relevance to community level;

Policy impact analysis and policy changes.

Constraints for policy implementation

Opportunities for policies at the national and

regional levels

IHP coordinated programme

UNESCO’s global programme “Climate Change

Impacts in Major Mountainous Regions of the

World: Multidisciplinary Network for Adaptation

Strategies (Africa, Asia, Latin America, and

Europe)”

Objectives

• to enhanced resilience to global change, particularly

climate change, through improved understanding of

vulnerabilities, opportunities and potentials for

adaptation.

• to develop strategies and policies based on

scientific/evidence-based knowledge in major

mountain regions of Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin

America.

• To raise awareness and strengthen human and institutional

capacities to cope with climate change impacts and develop

adaptation strategies for mountain regions;

• To identify the most vulnerable communities and groups in

selected study area;

• To analyze conditions for a policy framework to support

mountain communities to adapt to climate change and to

develop best practise strategies.

ACTIVITIES (2013)

Regional workshops (2013)

Regional workshops will be organized in Africa, Asia and Latin

America involving glaciologists, hydrologists, water resources

experts, mountain biosphere managers, representatives from

Natural Heritage sites, policy-makers, social scientists, local

stakeholders and experts from UNESCO’s International

Hydrological Programme (IHP) and Man and the Biosphere

(MAB) networks.

Kathmandu, Nepal, March 2013

San Jose, Costa Rica August, 2013

Nairobi, Kenya- September , 2013

Paris, France- December, 2013

Science policy workshop

Impacts of Global Climate Change on Snow, Glaciers and

Water Resources in the Andes: Policy recommendations

for Adaptation Strategies

Quito, Ecuador, 20-22 November 2013

Organized by: UNESCO, CONDESAN, ACCIÓN in

partnership with:

FAO Mountain Partnership Secretariat, Grupo de Trabajo de

Nieve y Hielo (GTNH-IHP)