Blog

Building water infrastructure such as dams contributes to economic development, food, and energy security depending on their objective. In developing countries it is often seen as the most cost effective way to increase electricity production and irrigated agriculture. However, reaching these national objectives can often come at a cost to nature and local livelihoods which depend on healthy ecosystems. Modified river flows change the timing, quantity and quality of water flowing downstream. Yet, these constantly changing river flows are essential for livelihoods dependent on flood recession farming, floodplain cattle grazing, and fish production. Read more

WISE-UP to Climate is a multi-partnership project focussing on natural infrastructure, water security and climate change adaptation in the Tana and Volta River Basins. Using an innovative approach to catalyse change on the ground, the project aims to demonstrate natural infrastructure as a 'nature-based solution' for climate change adaptation and sustainable development.Read more

By Aaron Reuben of IUCN’s Forest and Climate Change Programme.

In late 2014 I attended a panel discussion on national infrastructure for improved water supplies. This was part of the ACES (A Community on Ecosystem Services) conference on Ecosystem Markets in Washington, DC. From the presentations and discussions, it emerged that there are three key ways to increase investment in natural infrastructure – ecosystems such as river basins, forests and wetlands which, together with ‘built infrastructure,’ are critical to maintaining water supply.Read more

By Giulio Boccaletti and Lynn Scarlett of The Nature Conservancy, an IUCN member.

While the negotiations at the UN climate conference (COP21) in Paris have been deemed successful on many fronts, we are already witnessing the impacts of climate change on our most critical resource – water.Read more