ABSTRACT
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states that observational records and climate models provide abundant evidence that freshwater resources are strongly impacted by climate change, with wide-ranging consequences for human societies and ecosystems. The chapter is structured around four broad sections. Section 1 discusses temperature and rainfall, the impact of hydroclimatic variables on water availability on water supply for agriculture in particular, limitations of the current methodology and challenges in adapting to climate change. Section 2 discusses the mainstream approach of creating large storages through dams as a climate mitigating measure. It also discusses some of the anthropogenic stressors, such as land use changes and groundwater overdraft. An argument is made for privileging ‘green water’ that can disperse water over the ecosystem and build up ecosystem productivity. It also suggests that agriculture needs to be seen as part of a diverse, multi-rooted and multi-canopied biomass production system that, with its multi-year life cycles, can better cope with the uncertainties and variabilities of rainfall and water availability compared with shallow-rooted, short-duration, seasonal crops. Section 3 critically examines two climate mitigation efforts; namely, planting trees and building small hydropower projects. Section 4 looks at the implications for policy and practice and discusses four important elements: intersectoral water allocations and water use prioritisation; groundwater conservation; data, knowledge and resource literacy; and reorganisation of institutions and adaptive management.
