1. WISE-UP to Climate
Water Infrastructure Solutions from Ecosystem Services Underpinning Climate Resilient Policies and Programmes
Emmanuel Obuobie
Research Scientist, Surface Water Division
Water Research Institute
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2. Introduction Project duration Sponsor Location Implementing partners
4 Years (August 2013 – July 2017)
Sponsor
International Climate Initiative (ICI) – German Federal Ministry of Nuclear Safety and Nature (BMU)
Location
Two river basins: Volta (West Africa) and Tana (East Africa)
Implementing partners
IUCN, CSIR-WRI, UoN-ACCESS, ODI, IWMI, UoM, BC3
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3. Basic Information CSIR-WRI Project Team Dr. Barnabas Amisigo
Dr. Emmanuel Obeng-Bekoe
Dr. Barnabas Amisigo
Dr. Kwabena Kankam Yeboah
Mr. Frederick Logah
Ms. Deborah Ofori
Dr. Joseph Ampofo
Ms. Sylvia Amponsah
Dr. Emmanuel Obuobie
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4. Direct linkage between rainfall variability and growth
Rationale for Water Infrastructure
In many developing countries
Inability to predict and manage rainfall/runoff is a key contributor to high levels of food insecurity and poverty
The response
Water infrastructure is a cornerstone of economic development and water security
World Bank: water resource projects provide the basis for broad regional development, with “significant direct and indirect benefits for poor people”
Direct linkage between rainfall variability and growth
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5. Importance of Ecosystems
Construction of water infrastructure often changes the
environment and degrades ecosystem services on which
the poor depends
Ecosystems are natural infrastructure –
part of the “stock of facilities, services and installations needed for the functioning of a society and economy.”
Compare health and degraded system - services

6. Ecosystem services and the linkages with human well-being
Compare health and degraded system - services

7. WISE-UP – The Opportunity
Natural basin
Crops
Hydropower
Industrial
Regulation of
water balance
Erosion control
Climate
regulation
Soil formation
Nutrient
cycling
Recreation
Crops
Hydropower
Industrial
Regulation of
water balance
Erosion control
Climate
regulation
Soil formation
Nutrient
cycling
Recreation
Intensively utilized basin
Crops
Hydropower
Industrial
Regulation of
water balance
Erosion control
Climate
regulation
Soil formation
Nutrient
cycling
Recreation
Multifunctional Climate-Resilient
“balanced” basin
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8. WISE-UP – Objective
Increase adaptive capacity of water resources managers through recognition and inclusion of ecosystem services provided by natural infrastrucure in investment strategies for climate change adaptation and through optimisation with built infrastructure planning and development.
Solutions for water and climate change adaptation are needed in the Volta that are optimal from social, ecological and economic perspectives. Investment packages need to be indentified which can sustainably, equitably and efficiently combine climate change adaptation with economic development and poverty alleviation goals in the basin, including for water, food and energy security. In the Volta Basin Demonstration, CSIR will coordinate testing of knowledge, tools and skills developed under Components 2-5 and their application to meeting this challenge.They will coordinate activities and outputs from Components 2-5 within the basin, with support from the Project Secretariat. They will develop and manage cooperation between the project and key institutions and policy processes in the basin, including TARDA and stakeholders involved in negotiating river basin management solutions. Basin-level coordination will integrate the project outputs to enable support by the project, through evidence, tools and learning, for decision making and multi-stakeholder negotiations on water infrastructure and climate change adaptation.
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9. WISE-UP – Key Output
Development of Knowledge on how to use portfolios of built water infrastructure (eg. dams, irrigation channels) and natural infrastructure (eg. wetlands, floodplains, watersheds) for poverty reduction, water-energy-food security, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience
Solutions for water and climate change adaptation are needed in the Volta that are optimal from social, ecological and economic perspectives. Investment packages need to be indentified which can sustainably, equitably and efficiently combine climate change adaptation with economic development and poverty alleviation goals in the basin, including for water, food and energy security. In the Volta Basin Demonstration, CSIR will coordinate testing of knowledge, tools and skills developed under Components 2-5 and their application to meeting this challenge.They will coordinate activities and outputs from Components 2-5 within the basin, with support from the Project Secretariat. They will develop and manage cooperation between the project and key institutions and policy processes in the basin, including TARDA and stakeholders involved in negotiating river basin management solutions. Basin-level coordination will integrate the project outputs to enable support by the project, through evidence, tools and learning, for decision making and multi-stakeholder negotiations on water infrastructure and climate change adaptation.
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10. WISE-UP – Key Research Questions
How should investments be allocated between built and
natural water infrastructure to provide optimal results for
competing goals?
What combinations of built and natural infrastructure
provide most benefits for the poor and are most
equitable?
What governance and institutional arrangements are best
suited to effective adaptive management and
management of uncertainties?
What is the business case for investing in natural
infrastructure solutions alongside built infrastructure
development?
Solutions for water and climate change adaptation are needed in the Volta that are optimal from social, ecological and economic perspectives. Investment packages need to be indentified which can sustainably, equitably and efficiently combine climate change adaptation with economic development and poverty alleviation goals in the basin, including for water, food and energy security. In the Volta Basin Demonstration, CSIR will coordinate testing of knowledge, tools and skills developed under Components 2-5 and their application to meeting this challenge.They will coordinate activities and outputs from Components 2-5 within the basin, with support from the Project Secretariat. They will develop and manage cooperation between the project and key institutions and policy processes in the basin, including TARDA and stakeholders involved in negotiating river basin management solutions. Basin-level coordination will integrate the project outputs to enable support by the project, through evidence, tools and learning, for decision making and multi-stakeholder negotiations on water infrastructure and climate change adaptation.
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11. Project Components Component 1: Project coordination and river basin
demonstrations
Workpackage 1.1 – Project management and coordination: IUCN
Workpackage 1.2 – Volta Basin Demonstration: CSIR-WRI
Workpackage 1.3 – Tana Basin Demonstration: UoN
Component 2: Data and innovation of tools
Workpackage 2.1 Eco-hydrology for built & natural infrastructure: IWMI
Workpackage 2.2 Economic valuation & benefits: BC3
Workpackage 2.3 Multi-objective optimisation and system simulation: UoM
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12. Project Components Cont’d
Component 3: Political-economy
Workpackage 3 Political-economy of water infrastructure
Component 4: Action learning
Workpackage 4 Action learning with stakeholders : IUCN
Component 5: Capacity building and communications
Workpackage 5 Capacity building for integrating built and natural water infrastructure and disseminating results: UoN
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13. Project Components Cont’d
Volta Basin Demonstration: CSIR-WRI
Coordinate testing of knowledge, tools and skills developed under Components 2-5 and their applications
Coordinate activities and outputs from Components 2-5
Support the developement and delivery of science and innovation in components 2-5
Develop and manage cooperation between the project and key institutions and policy processes in the basin
Basin-level coordination will integrate the project outputs into national and basinwide strategy to enable support by the project, through evidence, tools and learning, for decision making and multi-stakeholder negotiations on water infrastructure and climate change adaptation.
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14. Activities Executed – 2013/2014
Key stakeholders’ consultation: December 2013
Stakeholder profiling: February 2014
Stakeholders’ scooping survey: March/April 2014
First major stakeholders’ workshop + technical sessions: April 2014
CNs on instrumented catchment, mapping of ecosystem services, ecosystem valuation, performance metrics: April-July 2014
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15. Planned Activities
Sub-basin selection for instrumentation and detailed research: On going, will be done in August 2014.
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16. Planned Activities – 2014 Cont’d
Modification of existing Volta WEAP model to suit project purpose: On going, will be completed by December 2014
Mapping of built and natural infrastructure in the Volta basin: August-December 2014
Stakeholder workshop 1 - Ecosystem mapping: Oct/Nov 2014
Stakeholder workshop 2 - Development of climate change scenarios for impact studies: December 2014
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17. Thank you
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