Science Of Climate Change Adaptation

🌍 The atmosphere is getting thirstier: are we ready for more extreme droughts? A new study published in Nature shows that rising atmospheric evaporative demand (AED) — or atmospheric thirst — is now responsible for nearly 40% of the increase in drought severity over the past 40 years. 💧 Even where rainfall hasn’t declined, droughts are worsening because warmer, drier, windier air pulls more moisture from soils, rivers, crops and forests. In 2022 alone: 🔹 30% of global land faced moderate to extreme drought 🔹 Global drought-affected land expanded by 74% 🔹 Severe impacts were seen across Europe, Africa, Australia, and the US — disrupting water supply, agriculture, hydropower, and entire supply chains. Drought can no longer be assessed simply by measuring rainfall deficits — we must also monitor how much water the atmosphere demands as temperatures rise. This is the new frontier of #climaterisk, which means: ⚠ Increasing operational risks for agriculture, energy, food security, and insurance ⚠ Higher volatility in commodity markets due to crop failures and water shortages ⚠ Greater stress on hydropower generation and energy-water nexus systems ⚠ Supply chain disruptions in water-intensive industries This is why integrating climate intelligence into corporate governance, risk management, and financial planning is becoming essential — a message I continue to advocate through my work. 🌡 The future of drought risk demands new thinking: ✅ Build AED into national drought monitoring systems ✅ Expand early warning capacity ✅ Support water-smart business strategies ✅ Promote nature-based solutions for moisture retention and soil health ✅ Align adaptation finance with emerging climate science the science is clear: climate adaptation is not a distant conversation, it’s an immediate operational imperative. https://lnkd.in/e8s4riFS

#Stormwater Solutions in the #GCC: From Challenge to Opportunity The GCC region, traditionally known for its arid climate, has recently experienced unprecedented rainfall events, underscoring the urgent need for innovative stormwater management strategies. Last year, some GCC countries faced challenges with stormwater: - In April 2024, the UAE experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years, with up to 259 mm recorded over three days. Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, saw more than 1,500 flights delayed or canceled due to flooding. - Oman received approximately 180 mm of rainfall in some regions, leading to significant flooding and loss of life. - Bahrain faced severe flooding after heavy thunderstorms, recording its second-highest rainfall event in history. These events highlight the pressing need to reconceptualize stormwater—not as a nuisance but as a valuable resource. Adopting a zero-liquid discharge mindset ensures that every drop of rain is captured, treated, and reused, turning potential hazards into assets. Innovative Solutions are becoming more effective: - #SmartDrainage systems that use AI to predict rainfall patterns and adjust water flow in real-time to prevent urban flooding. - Permeable pavements that allow rainwater to seep into the ground, reducing surface runoff and replenishing groundwater reserves. - Stormwater harvesting systems that collect and store rainwater for irrigation, cooling, or industrial use, reducing reliance on desalination. - Underground water tunnels, inspired by systems in Singapore, that can divert excess water away from urban centers. - #NaturebasedSolutions such as restoring natural waterways and expanding green spaces to enhance the land’s ability to absorb and manage rainwater. Beyond #Flood Prevention: A robust stormwater strategy offers multiple benefits. It strengthens water security by reducing dependence on desalination. It lowers infrastructure repair costs caused by repeated flood damage. It also opens up economic opportunities in urban planning, water technology, and #infrastructure resilience. Rain is becoming an integral part of the GCC’s climate reality. The choice is between reacting to floods or proactively designing cities that harness stormwater as an asset. With the right investments, the region can lead in innovative water management. Amer Lahham Filippo Ghizzoni Elias Al Akiki Ghadi Turk Hussein Khalife Kearney Kearney Middle East and Africa #CenterforSustainableFuture #IdeaoftheDay

Here’s what I learned from London Climate Action Week 2026. My daughter's sports day was cancelled, and schools all over London closed early. The week started with a rare red heat warning. Suddenly, climate risk was no longer just an idea for anyone living, visiting, or working in London. We could feel its impact in the local economy, which our portfolios already rely on. But the mood at LCAW wasn’t one of crisis. Instead, people focused on resilience and what we can achieve quickly and at scale. The conversation shifted from systemic risks to how climate affects asset values, returns, member outcomes, and the world our members will retire into. Floods, heat, drought, water quality issues, and supply chain disruptions turn into operational risks, which then become financial risks, and finally portfolio risks. This chain is what makes investments in adaptation and resilience possible. What felt different at LCAW was that the market is beginning to form around that logic. Companies and infrastructure owners need resilience, and some are now willing to pay for it. Nature-based projects are becoming capable of delivering measurable outcomes. Long-term capital needs diversified, cash-flow-driven returns. Bring those three things together, and we build a scalable, repeatable and investable market. There were clear signs of progress throughout the week. APG, the €600bn manager behind ABP, launched a dedicated Private Natural Capital allocation. Aviva announced that it had already invested £87m in rainforests, peatlands, and salt marshes. The Flood Action Coalition brought together corporate buyers, insurers, and infrastructure owners. In the Evenlode catchment, more than 50 farms and over 3,000 hectares demonstrated how place-based resilience works when buyers such as Network Rail and SSEN pay for the outcomes their assets rely on. You can find our Rebalance Earth LCAW 2026 summary attached below. #NaturalCapital #NatureFinance #ClimateResilience #Infrastructure #LondonClimateActionWeek #Pensions

Today, on the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (#DRRday), I echo and amplify the message "Fund resilience, not disaster". In simple terms, this means invest now in what will keep us safe, so we aren’t left paying the price of disasters later. My highlights for two key priorities- Significantly increase financing for climate risk reduction: Governments, donors, and institutions must prioritise innovative and fit-for-purpose financing/blended finance investments in reducing climate risks. This includes funding for climate-resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and programs that help communities dynamically adapt to changing conditions. Currently, funding for climate adaptation and risk reduction is far below what is needed, often representing just a fraction of budgets and aid. Increasing investment by crowdsourcing finance climate risk reduction is essential for protecting vulnerable populations and ecosystems. Every dollar spent can save multiple dollars in future losses. This is particularly critical for countries already facing severe climate impacts, which often divert resources from development to emergency response. Make all investments climate risk-informed: Every investment, whether public or private, must incorporate climate risk assessments to ensure resilience. Projects in sectors like water, transportation, energy, and agriculture should be designed to withstand climate impacts, such as extreme weather and rising temperatures, to understand probable maximum risk. The private sector and other sources of finance play a vital role by integrating climate resilience into business practices, ensuring long-term economic stability. Embedding climate risk reduction into all investments aligns with global goals like the #SDGs, #SFDRR and the Paris Agreement. We can safeguard development progress and build a sustainable future. #RiskReduction #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateAdaptation #ResilientCommunities #ClimateFinance #DisasterPrevention #GreenInfrastructure #SDGs #ParisAgreement #EcosystemProtection #InvestInResilience #ClimatePreparedness #FutureProofing

📢 New Publication Alert Thrilled to share a new International Water Management Institute (IWMI) CGIAR publication highlighting IWMI’s contributions under the #F2RCWANA initiative and the CGIAR Scaling for Impact. 📍 The report presents a #multidimensional climate #fragility analysis of the #Bouregreg River Basin—a critical watershed underpinning water security and rural livelihoods in northwest #Morocco. Using earth observation, modeling, GIS-based multi-hazard mapping, and stakeholder dialogues, the analysis assesses fragility across water, land, and agrifood systems under current and future climate scenarios. It identifies hotspots where droughts, floods, and erosion compound risks: 🌿 Droughts reduce river flows and groundwater recharge, undermining water reliability as temperatures rise 🌧 Floods, while enhancing recharge, damage infrastructure and settlements 🌾 Erosion, driven by rainfall extremes and land degradation, accelerates nutrient loss and sedimentation—posing risks to the performance of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah Dam Importantly, the report goes beyond risk diagnosis to outline scalable resilience pathways—including strengthened monitoring and early warning systems, integrated land and water management, soil conservation and ecosystem restoration, and agrifood adaptation strategies such as efficient irrigation, water reuse, and drought-tolerant crops, enabled by partnerships, targeted investment, and local capacity building. Thanks to all partners in Morocco. 📘 Read the full report: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dViC79xU #F2RCWANA #ScalingForImpact #ClimateAdaptation #WaterSecurity #AgrifoodSystems #Resilience #Fragility

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲! With 110+ citations, we’ve had plenty of attention from plant breeders — but this one feels special. An international team of researchers dug into a wild cousin of barley, 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘶𝘮, and built a chromosome-level genome to figure out how it shrugs off drought and salty soils. -> They showed the plant’s “hardware” (dense leaf veins, leaf rolling, thicker, more conservative leaves) and its “software” (expanded stress-response gene families) working together. -> In a 6-day dry-down, the wild cousin stayed upright, then recovered within 24 hours after re-watering. It's a proof of real resilience, not just lab blah-blah-blah. -> And a fun detail we love 😍: leaf area was measured with a Petiole Pro app during trait work, showing how practical tools can power serious science. -> This isn’t just another citation for our app. It’s a roadmap for breeding barley that survives and bounces back when the climate gets rough. ____________________________ Considering that climate shocks aren’t waiting for our breeding cycles to catch up, here’s the uncomfortable truth for policy and industry: 1. Resilience isn’t a single blockbuster gene, it’s a systems bundle. 2. If we want drought-ready barley in farmer hands before the next mega-heatwave, we need to move on three fronts at once. (a) First, lock in the biology. Pre-breeding must shift from “yield first, fix stress later” to “survive first, then stack yield” (b) Second, scale phenotyping like it’s 2025. AI can turn scattered field notes into decision-quality data. Standardize smartphone and drone pipelines so trials capture dynamics rather than static snapshots. (c) Third, fund resilience as public infrastructure. Policy should stop paying only for crisis inputs (last-minute irrigation, emergency sprays) and start investing in pre-competitive pre-breeding, wild-relative conservation, and open trait validation. ____________________________ We have a clear signal from the wild: resilience is learnable, transferable, and measurable. Let’s stop treating it as a future aspiration and make it the organizing principle of breeding, AI phenomics, and policy spend — now. ____________________________ What's your thought about the topic? #barley

Inspired by Emma Howard Boyd CBE's post from earlier today, I was reflecting on London's predicament. London stands at a crossroads in how it manages water resources & strengthens its resilience to climate change. W/ rising populations, aging infrastructure, & increasingly extreme weather patterns, the city’s ability to secure its water future & protect against floods is under huge pressure At the heart of the challenge are 2 interconnected risks: water scarcity & flooding. By the 40s, daily water deficits of up to 400m litres could threaten supply, while rising groundwater, heavy rainfall, & overwhelmed infrastructure pose flooding risks for homes, businesses, & transport networks. Climate extremes are no longer hypothetical & our systems need urgent upgrades to adapt. To future-proof London, a multi-faceted approach is essential: 🔹 Demand mgmt: reducing water consumption through efficiency measures in homes and businesses is the most immediate and cost-effective step. Education, incentives, & smart technologies can cut waste & manage supply 🔹 Nature-based solutions: urban wetlands, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), & green infrastructure are vital. These approaches allow nature to help manage water—absorbing excess during storms, replenishing groundwater, & cooling urban areas—while enhancing biodiversity & public spaces 🔹 Infrastructure innovation: London’s Victorian-era water systems are under enormous strain. Significant investment is needed to upgrade pipelines, reservoirs, and treatment facilities to meet modern demands & withstand climate stresses. Partnerships between public & private sectors are critical to fund this long-term transformation 🔹 Climate risk integration: ensuring that every major infrastructure project incorporates climate resilience is vital. Resilience should not be an afterthought but a foundation for planning & development We need collaboration too. Water utilities, government agencies, businesses, and communities must work together to implement solutions that balance supply, demand, and risk. This means aligning incentives, investing in innovation, & embracing a holistic view of water management that protects both people & ecosystems. London has a unique opportunity to lead the way as a global city facing climate pressures. By combining smart tech, policy innovation, and nature-based solutions, it can build a water-secure future that safeguards lives, livelihoods, & the environment. Several urban areas across the UK face the dual challenges of both water scarcity & flooding, similar to London. Carbon Brief's work suggests examples include: 1. Cardiff 2. Leeds 3. Exeter 4. Newport These urban areas exemplify the broader national challenge of managing both flood risks & potential water shortages. Addressing these issues requires integrated water management strategies, investment in resilient infrastructure, & climate adaptation measures to safeguard communities & ensure sustainable water resources.

99% of professionals talk about sustainable cities. Very few talk about water. Yet water may be the single most important factor determining whether a city becomes resilient, livable, and climate-ready. The image below highlights a critical difference between two urban development approaches: • Grey Cities: Rainwater is treated as a problem to be removed as quickly as possible. • Green Cities: Rainwater is treated as a resource that should be captured, stored, infiltrated, and reused. What happens in a typical grey city? ✔ Large areas of concrete and asphalt prevent infiltration. ✔ Stormwater is rapidly directed into drains and sewer systems. ✔ Groundwater recharge declines. ✔ Urban flooding increases during heavy rainfall. ✔ Water scarcity worsens during dry periods. Over time, cities lose their natural ability to regulate water. Now compare that with a water-sensitive city. ✔ Green roofs slow down runoff. ✔ Urban vegetation increases infiltration. ✔ Permeable surfaces allow water to reach the soil. ✔ Rain gardens and bioswales capture stormwater. ✔ Groundwater reserves are replenished. ✔ Urban heat island impacts are reduced. The result is not just better water management. It is better climate adaptation, healthier ecosystems, improved urban resilience, and more sustainable communities. This is why understanding water flows is essential for architects, urban planners, sustainability professionals, and policymakers. If you don't understand where water goes, how it moves, and how it is stored, you don't fully understand how cities function. The future of sustainable architecture is not only about energy-efficient buildings. It is about designing with natural water cycles instead of against them. For practical sustainability and ESG, Carbon footprint, and LCA masterclass courses: visit: 365sustainability.com #Sustainability #WaterManagement #SustainableArchitecture #UrbanPlanning #ClimateResilience #NatureBasedSolutions #GreenInfrastructure #WaterSensitiveUrbanDesign #ESG #ClimateAdaptation #SustainableCities #LCA #EnvironmentalSustainability

Water matters by RJ - 7 "India’s Urban Water Plan: Cross Your Fingers & Hope It Rains?" (Or we could invest in centralized and decentralized water management. Just saying!) Rethinking Urban Water Management in India – A Centralized & Decentralized Approach As Indian cities expand, water scarcity is no longer a distant threat—it’s here. Climate change, pollution, and outdated infrastructure are pushing our resources to the brink. The solution? A hybrid model combining centralized and decentralized water management. 1️⃣ Centralized & Decentralized Solutions – A Balanced Approach • Centralized wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) handle large urban loads efficiently (e.g., Delhi, Mumbai). • Decentralized solutions like on-site treatment, rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling bridge the gaps in areas with limited infrastructure. • Where can both models work together? o Residential & commercial hubs: On-site plants provide recycled water for flushing, cooling, and irrigation. o Industrial zones: Large-scale WWTPs manage effluents, while local reuse systems reduce freshwater dependency. o Smart cities & new developments: Integrated water plans optimize freshwater use and maximize reuse. 2️⃣ Smarter, Water-Efficient Indian Cities • Reducing Demand: Mandating wastewater reuse for horticulture, landscaping, and non-potable applications. • Minimizing Loss: NRW (Non-Revenue Water) reduction through IoT-based leak detection & smart meters to track usage & billing. • Harnessing Nature: Rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements enhance infiltration & reduce runoff. 3️⃣ Wastewater as a Resource – Reuse Beyond Irrigation Recycled wastewater isn’t just for greenery—it’s a strategic water source: 🚽 Flushing (dual plumbing) – Reducing fresh water use in residential & commercial buildings. ❄️ Cooling towers – Major water savings in malls, IT parks, and industrial facilities. 🌿 Horticulture & landscaping – Freshwater should be used only where necessary. ⚙️ Surplus water – Upgrading treated wastewater to potable standards for industrial & trade applications. 💧 Freshwater allocation – Optimized at Horticulture (essential use) + Loss (~5%), ensuring maximum reuse. India’s urban water strategy must shift from scarcity to sustainability. A mix of policy, technology, and responsible usage can redefine how cities use and conserve water. Let’s make every drop count! Data: As of July 2024 #WaterResilience #UrbanWaterManagement #SmartCities #WastewaterReuse #SustainableIndia #NRW #WaterBilling

My experience working with WWF - Pakistan-Pakistan has profoundly shaped my perspective on the importance of integrating 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐍𝐛𝐒) into development projects. Through extensive engagement with stakeholders and communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), it has become increasingly clear how essential these solutions are for building resilience and sustainability in water resource management. This direct collaboration underscored the significance of understanding local needs and tailoring global frameworks for effective impact. It directly informed our pioneering work with WWF, where we introduced 𝗜𝗨𝗖𝗡’𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 on NbS and developed a 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗡𝗯𝗦) 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹. This manual serves as a scientifically-grounded, action-oriented resource, designed to empower local stakeholders to apply NbS for challenges like water scarcity, flooding, glacier melt, and disaster risks. It emphasizes embedding NbS within 𝗣𝗖-1 development proposals, ensuring financial feasibility and scalability. In the current climate reality, it is no longer sufficient to discuss challenges in abstract terms. What is critically needed are practical approaches and strategies. NbS provides exactly that by leveraging ecological processes to deliver measurable outcomes for climate resilience, water resource management, and socio-economic development. Our approach links global climate frameworks like the 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗣𝗖𝗖 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 with regional applications, enabling practical, scalable solutions for water management. This journey has reinforced my conviction that inclusive governance and co-designed NbS, built on community insights, are fundamental to achieving sustainable change. We are committed to systematically embedding NbS where projects require them, enhancing adaptive capacities, and contributing to national and global climate goals.