Adaptation as a Water Resource Policy Challenge —Institutions and Science

Abstract

Adaptation is the pursuit of active, deliberate measures to enhance humankind's capacity to manage water supply and attenuate demand in the face of climate uncertainty. This article contends that worsening constraints upon freshwater due to climate variability demand concerted, imaginative, science-based solutions. These solutions must join creative management to co-production of climate knowledge. Through a series of case studies, we analyze the need for adaptation approaches to prevail over climate variability, and the role of these factors to facilitate their implementation. We also examine how translation of climate knowledge is helping spur adaptation at various spatial levels. These experiences point to the challenges in adaptation, and the adversity various regions will be faced if we do not.

Quantifying Water Pollution Sources in a Small Tile‐drained Agricultural Watershed

“…Quantification of water pollution sources during hydrologically different situations is indispensable for adopting particular protective measures in various landscape zones and for setting the effective agricultural land management . However, findings obtained in experimentally based studies realized at watershed scale, especially in tile drained areas, are rarely reported.…”

Organizing Sport for Climate Related Adaptations: Lessons from the Water and Forestry Industries

“…This research utilized selective sampling [31] and purposeful sampling [32] to identify academic journals in the water and forestry industries. A total of fifteen journals were examined that included: Manuscripts within these journals were examined for concrete examples of insights or practical lessons that could guide sport to establish a framework to adapt to contemporary climatic impacts., such as drivers of adaptations [33] and an overview of adaptation actions and their impacts on policy [34].…”

“…We need to plan today to adapt It has been noted that "climate change and extreme variability will force us to adapt to freshwater shortages, alterations in distribution" [33].…”

“…Insights derived from the examination of literature suggested that organizational structures need to be designed to support the following elements: (a) social learning [33,42,44], (b) cooperation between stakeholders, and (c) encouraging adaptive capacity [28]. This means steering away from hierarchical structures that may impede the development of adaptation innovations [28] and moving towards organic methods of organization that promote inclusivity.…”

Adaptation Options for Land Drainage Systems Towards Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment: A Czech Perspective

“…We can see the negative impacts of these phenomena as frequent inundations, floods, erosive processes, or dramatic drops of water resource supplies. This will require changes in management of water resources in order to enhance accumulation and retention of water, optimally already in soil or in suitable watershed zones [17,18], emphasizing also the significance, versatility, and potential of the drainage systems. In some cases, the importance of drainage systems was rather underestimated and not adequately appreciated in CR and abroad.…”