Beyond Downscaling

This book is designed for individuals who are exploring the best means of incorporating climate adaptation perspectives into their water resources management work, particularly if they are interested in mainstreaming that work in the context of other drivers that affect water supply and demand such as urbanization, demographic change, ecological shifts, and economic cycles. It is designed for individuals who are asking questions such as: How do we estimate climate change impacts? Do the problems of climate adaptation pose new challenges for water managers that require new decision-making methods, or will existing, traditional techniques be sufficient? Can we make sound operating rules for addressing uncertainty about future hydrological conditions? In many cases, these individuals work in technical disciplines or are engaged in active resource management—engineers, planners, economists, conservationists, finance specialists, academics, and scientific and analytical staff. However, the challenges of climate change for water resources are important at many organizational levels. The technical implications will be meaningless without a broad understanding of climate issues by high-level decision-makers, policymakers, and professional communicators, as these are the individuals who consume the reports produced by technical staff, as well as interact with, set the strategy for, and manage this technical staff.