Despite the increased vocalisation of the devastating impacts of climate change on our planet, people don’t always see climate change as a high a priority problem. Rather it is regarded as something that will not affect them, or something that can be dealt with later. Despite being one of the most momentous issues of our time, climate change is largely invisible to the average person.
It is not always evident how climate change is affecting our wellbeing and ecosystems, or what measures are needed to prepare for the impacts of climate hazards including floods and droughts. Only when there are headlines about the likely possibility of a day zero for Cape Town to run of water, or when sequential cyclones result in widespread floods (such as in Thailand in 2011) does it become real how the changing climate will affect the way we live our lives.
What measures can be taken and how can we better prepared across our basins? Supported by the right information and tools, climate change information can be better integrated into planning and management procedures, such as Intergrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Planning or Water Safety Planning (WSP). This includes using tools from the Flood and Drought Portal which was developed as part of the Flood and Drought Management Tools project (FDMT).The Portal has web-based technical applications for water utilities and basin organisations to share data and planning tools with stakeholders in their basins.
The FDMT project was set up to provide information to projects, especially ones in the Global Environment Fund (GEF) under its International Waters (IW) portfolio. The methodology and tools were developed to have a global approach to flood and drought planning, which can then be applied to local settings around the world. Three pilot locations affected by extreme weather challenges were selected to develop, test and validate the FDMT methodology. The pilot cases were:
The aim was to improve the abilities of water managers in transboundary river basins to recognize and address the implications of the increased frequency, magnitude, and unpredictability of flood and drought events arising from climate variability and change.
To help guide users on how best to apply the Portal and the web-based technical application, International Water Association (IWA) and DHI have developed a set of strategic recommendations for basin organisations and water utilities, respectively.
The Strategic Recommendations targeted at basin organisations describe the relevance and advantages of applying the Flood and Drought Portal applications as part of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis/Strategic Action Programme (TDA/SAP) processes and how this can be implemented in practice. Details on how each of the applications from data and information, to issue analysis to basin planning can be used as part of the TDA/SAP process are outlined in the recommendations. And an overview is provided in the graphics below. A detailed infographic is available here. If you want to apply to your transboundary basin visit the Flood and Drought Portal.
One of the key points from the development of the Flood and Drought Portal is that it can serve as building blocks for a future “TDA/SAP support tool” which would allow easy and regular updating and accessibility to all stakeholders involved in the planning and management of transboundary basins.
Similar to the basin scale, at the local scale of a water service provider or water utility, climate impacts can be better addressed through preparedness and planning. This means when there is flooding or insufficient water available then the water utility has taken necessary measures to ensure continued and safe water supply. Adaptation to the changing environment is a necessity to ensure water supply continuity and to fulfil the water utility’s responsibility to deliver safe and secure water to their customers. The Strategic Recommendations for Climate Smart Water Utilities are targeted at water service providers and have the dual purpose of explaining:
Both sets of strategic recommendations provide a concise overview of how to use the Flood and Drought Portal in practice. The Portal is a tool which will continue to evolve and adapt depending on use and user needs.
For more information on this project, please contact Oluf Jessen (DHI) or Katharine Cross (IWA), or visit the Flood and Drought Portal or project website.
© 2026 IW:LEARN
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