Managing the impact of climate change on water

Climate change is having a profound effect on the environment, especially on the quality and availability of water resources. The consequences are significant. Water-related natural disasters, such as flooding, drought, and landslides, are more frequent and more severe. Rising temperatures, causing increased evaporation and glacial melt, are reducing the reliability and quality of water supplies.

IDRC’s Climate Change and Water program aims to help the world’s most vulnerable people adapt to the water-related impacts of climate change. The goal: to support research that improves climate change adaptation efforts, at the policy level and in practice.

Read the About and Approach pages for more information about our program. You can also download our program overview in English, French, or Spanish.

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Latest Project

Food and Livelihood Security in Punjab through Water, Energy and Agricultural Management

Climate change poses a significant threat to agrarian societies in tropical regions. In Punjab, which produces more than half of India's annual food grain production, there is rising uncertainty in th

Latest Result

Widening access to water for slum residents in Indonesia

Access to water for poor residents in Jakarta, Indonesia, is limited. Among the challenges they face are the high prices demanded by water service providers, poor water quality, and limited access to water infrastructure. With support from IDRC...


News

New funding for climate change adaptation in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean

19/03/2013

On March 18, Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Environment Canada (EC) announced 12 new projects that will help Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean to safeguard their water resources in the face of a changing climate. ...

Burkina Faso recognizes success of water conservation technologies to fight drought

30/05/2012

IDRC grantee, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), recently played host to Burkina Faso's president and other distinguished guests as part of the country's annual Farmer's Day celebrations. Burkina Faso’s...

Events

IDRC at Resilient Cities Forum 2013

31/05/2013

The Resilient Cities 2013 Forum in Bonn, Germany, will bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share experiences for equipping cities with strategies to cope with the impacts of climate change. IDRC will be at the event...

Highlight: Research tackles flooding in Dakar’s suburbs

19/09/2012

A new IDRC-funded project aims to reduce flood-related damages for people living in the suburbs of Dakar, Senegal.    Property losses, public health and safety risksFloods used to be exceptional in this region, which endured a long period of...

Latest Results

Access to water for poor residents in Jakarta, Indonesia, is limited. Among the challenges they face are the high prices demanded by water service providers, poor water quality, and limited access to water infrastructure. With support from IDRC...
Widening access to water for slum residents in IndonesiaAdapting to Climate Change in Peru's Mantaro ValleyBalancing trade-offs for wastewater treatment in Mexico CityWomen play larger role in Latin America's commercial urban waste management Urban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countries

Latest Results

The Mantaro Valley in central Peru is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, and frost. According to recent projections, this vulnerability will increase in coming years due to climate change.The Instituto Geofísico...
Widening access to water for slum residents in Indonesia Adapting to Climate Change in Peru's Mantaro ValleyBalancing trade-offs for wastewater treatment in Mexico CityWomen play larger role in Latin America's commercial urban waste management Urban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countries

Latest Results

Wastewater treatment is a serious issue in Mexico City due to its large population, heavy water use, and inadequate wastewater infrastructure. Researchers supported by IDRC have published a paper where they compare the social and environmental...
Widening access to water for slum residents in IndonesiaAdapting to Climate Change in Peru's Mantaro Valley Balancing trade-offs for wastewater treatment in Mexico CityWomen play larger role in Latin America's commercial urban waste management Urban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countries

Latest Results

Women in Latin America are playing a larger role in the management of solid waste in Latin America, according to research supported by IDRC. Trabajadoras por la ciudad. Aporte de las mujeres a la gestión ambiental de los residuos sólidos en América...
Widening access to water for slum residents in IndonesiaAdapting to Climate Change in Peru's Mantaro ValleyBalancing trade-offs for wastewater treatment in Mexico City Women play larger role in Latin America's commercial urban waste management Urban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countries

Latest Results

IDRC-funded researchers propose local urban agriculture as a solution to food insecurity in a recent paper published by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies. Food insecurity in Arab countries is closely tied to...
Widening access to water for slum residents in IndonesiaAdapting to Climate Change in Peru's Mantaro ValleyBalancing trade-offs for wastewater treatment in Mexico CityWomen play larger role in Latin America's commercial urban waste management Urban agriculture could boost food security in Arab countries

Featured Publication

Struggling for safe access to water and sanitation

Struggling for safe access to water and sanitation

Women who were relocated from slums in central New Delhi to the city’s desolate periphery face daily indignities and danger as they collect water or access public toilets. Using the Women’s Safety Audit developed in Canada, they have begun to...

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IDRC funds researchers in the developing world so they can build healthier, more prosperous societies
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