1. ADB, Climate Change and
Water Security in South Asia
Arnaud Cauchois
Senior Water Resources Specialist
South Asia Regional Department, ADB
GWP Regional Workshop on Climate Change, Food and Water Security
Colombo, Sri Lanka
24-25 February 2011

2. Key Message
 Asia and particularly South Asia with its large
population and limited water resources is at
particular risk from climate impacts, especially its
water and agriculture sectors.
 Water management will be drastically affected
by our changing climate, but adapting – while
requiring innovation and new approaches – will draw
upon and reinforce best practices of the water
profession.
 South Asian countries are beginning to respond,
with policy dialogue, funding and technical
support – more is coming soon.

3. Asia – Water Insecurity and Climate Change

4. Climate Change Priority Concerns in South Asia:
Food Security
NCAR CCSM, SRES A2, no CO2 fertilization

5. ADB Climate Change Projects

6. ADB’s Climate Change Program
Modalities:
Finance Knowledge Partnership
Priorities:
1. Scaling-Up Clean Energy
2. Encouraging Sustainable Transport, Urban Development
3. Managing Land Use and Forests for Carbon Sequestration
4. Promoting Climate-Resilient Development
5. Strengthening Policies, Governance and Capacities

7. Climate Change Priority Concerns in South Asia:
Water Resources
• Supply-Demand: growing
imbalances in many regions
• Glacial Retreat: loss of warm
season and drought year
flows
• Groundwater: over-
exploitation in many basins;
climate change impacts on
groundwater recharge
uncertain
• Coastal Aquifers: saline
intrusion from Sea Level
Rise; over-pumping

8. ADB’s Modalities to Address
Water Security
• Convening Power and Regional Dialogue:
Asian Water Development Outlook 2010, Asia-Pacific Water Forum and Summits
– Steering Group on Water and Climate Change, Greater Mekong Subgroup,
Regional Knowledge Hubs, Network of Asian River Basin Organizations, special
conference, etc.
• Grant Technical Assistance – Regional and Country Focused:
For capacity and institutional development, policy and advisory services,
technical and analytical work, and project and program preparation, or blend of
the above
• Financing – Loans and Grants – Infrastructure Focused:
Project lending for water projects, Program loans for policy reform, Climate
Change Trust Fund, Clean Technology Fund, GEF, leverage bilateral grant
financing

9. Approach to Water Insecurity
and Climate Change – 3 Is
Projecting climate
Climate Change change impacts for
Information water resources –
downscaling, modeling
Identify vulnerability and
Impact
risks (mapping) for river
Assessments
basins and cities
Investments in infrastructure,
Adaptation capacity development, and
strategies and institutions to mitigate risks
Investments and promote adaptation

10. Adaptation in the Water Sector:
Financing Options
 Water Finance Program (WFP)
 Regional Technical Assistance (RETA)
“Managing Water in Asia’s River Basins”
(TA 6470) – IWRM emphasis
“Enabling Climate Change Responses in
Asia and the Pacific” – capacity building,
disaster risk reduction, water sector
 ADB Climate Change Fund (CCF)
 Other co-financing

11. Examples: ADB’s Climate Change and
Water Activities in South Asia
 TA 43169: India - Support for the National Action
Plan on Climate Change
 TA 7326: Sri Lanka - Strengthening Capacity for
Climate Change Adaptation
 Regional TA 7547 – “Supporting Investments in
Water Security in River Basins (Indonesia,
Nepal and Uzbekistan)”
 Bangladesh - Strengthening the Resilience of
the Khulna Water Sector to Climate Change
 Pakistan: Glacial Melt and Downstream Impact
on Indus-Dependent Water Resources and
Energy

12. India: National Action Plan for Climate Change:
Support for the National Water Mission
 India MoWR requests ADB assistance in adapting
water sector to climate change
 Desired outputs: legislative framework and capacity
at the state level to enact NWM recommendations for
climate change adaptation
 Vehicle: Policy and Advisory Technical Assistance
(PATA)
 Funding: $750,000 (grant)
 Source: ADB Climate Change Fund (CCF)

13. India: National Action Plan for Climate Change:
Support for the National Water Mission
 All-India Water
Systems
 3 Pilot Sub-basins
representing specific
climate change risks
Category Pilot Basin Focal State Associated
States
Snow-fed Sutlej Punjab Himachal
Pradesh
Groundwater Chambal Madhya Rajasthan
Pradesh
Coastal Cauvery (delta) Tamil Nadu Pondicherry

14. Bangladesh: Strengthening the Resilience of
the Khulna Water Sector to Climate Change
 Bangladesh vulnerable to:
- Flooding
- Drought
- Sea Level Rise
 Khulna: 3rd largest - 1.4
million (2007)
 Shortage of water supply
(currently relying on shallow
groundwater)
 Increased urban flooding
 Drainage congestion
 Vehicle: PATA
 Funding: $600,000 (grant)
 Source: ADB CCF

15. Bangladesh: Strengthening the Resilience of
the Khulna Water Sector to Climate Change
Flow Diagram of the Study
Review of available data Surveys to collect
and information additional data
Deriving scenario’s 2030-2050
Projections for 2030 and 2050
Climate Change Socio-economic Development and calibration of
• Temperatureclimate development mathematical models
• Precipitation • Population
• Sea Level Rise • Water Demand Climate
• Upstream (model)
• Land Use
analysis
River Discharge • GDP Growth
low trend high
Rainfall
Sea level, intensities
Ch. 3 rainfall,
temp
Impact Assessment
Southwest Urban
Urban Drainage Regional Water
Drainage
Hydrodynamic levels
Water Supply System Model Model
• Water logged area
System
• Flood depth
• Water availability
• Affected population river flows
• River salinity Waterlogged
• Damages area, depth,
and duration
Salinity
Model
Identification and Evaluation of
Adaptation Options river salinity
• least-cost analysis (water supply)
• cost-benefit analysis (urban drainage)

16. THANK YOU
Arnaud Cauchois,
Senior Water Resources Specialist
SAER/SARD/ADB
acauchois@adb.org