Produced by International Rivers, an international NGO working to protect rivers and defend the rights of communities that depend on them, this guidebook is aimed at those working in and with riverine communities, with a particular focus on river resources and large infrastructure projects such as dams. The guidebook summarises the ways in which climate change is and will impact rivers, and provides some tools which are hoped to be useful in the building of climate resilience of riverine communities, and the rivers they depend on. It consists of several chapters, beginning with an introduction concerning why rivers are so important. Background is then provided on a range of river-related climate change threats, including precipitation and temperature, floods, glacial lake outbursts, droughts, and hydroelectric projects, in order for users to understand the associated risks. Chapters three, four, and five lay out the recommendations and resources necessary to help users assess, address, and adapt to a world of changing climate. Numerous case studies are highlighted, illustrating a number of options available, such as solar, biomass, and micro-electric alternatives to hydroelectric dam projects.
The guidebook concludes by summing up the recommendations of these last three chapters under the aforementioned headings:
Assess: conduct a community level needs and capacity assessment; help build capacity through research and expert consultation; empower women; identify risks for vulnerable people; combine top-down and bottom-up approaches; and investigate and assess existing and proposed water projects.
Address: conduct or assist in an options assessment for alternative water and energy projects; lobby decision makers; promote the ‘precautionary principle’; protect ecosystem services; develop monitoring systems at the community level; and ensure climate risk-management is included throughout a projects life-cycle.
Adapt: choose and design a sustainable “no-regrets” solution that follows the principles of climate resilience, and ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable people are met and maladaptation avoided.